- Release Date: 15/11/2024
- Platform: SonyLiv
- Runtime: 37–48 minutes (7 Episodes)
- Cast: Sidhant Gupta, Chirag Vohra, Rajendra Chawla, Luke McGibney, Arif Zakaria
- Director: Nikkhil Advani
Nikkhil Advani’s Riveting Adaptation of “Freedom at Midnight” is a Profound Tale of Power, Pain, and Partition
“Freedom at Midnight” is based on the book of the same name by journalists Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins. The two journalists spent considerable time in India, travelling through its lengths and breadths, documenting the key events of the transfer of power from the British to Indian hands. They also carefully and painstakingly recorded the results of the key decisions taken by the Congress and the British, and their impact on the three major sections of the Indian masses: the Hindus, the Muslims, and the Sikhs. The authors took particular interest in Jinnah and his Muslim League and how they successfully used unbridled violence as a political tool to make the Congress and the British surrender to his demand for Pakistan.
What Lapierre and Collins saw during this period essentially became the book that many cite as a combination of hard facts and equal amounts of conjecture from men whose accounts might not have been entirely accurate. It also proved to be one of the most controversial works on the Indian freedom struggle, focusing on Gandhi, his role, and his personal conduct during those times. The authors went to great lengths to document and provide their views on Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Gandhi, and everyone else who was connected to him. However, they seemed to demonize these men without objectively considering their actions from a journalistic point of view, as they should have. Similarly, they viewed Gandhi, Nehru, and Patel through a lens compromised by reverence and apparent affection, leading to excessive praise and overinterpretation of their actions.
I expected Nikkhil Advani’s series to have the same flaws. Interestingly enough, the screenplay manages to maintain a very balanced perspective on Sardar Patel, Nehru, and Gandhi while also taking an unbiased and genuine look at Jinnah, who, in many ways, was the man responsible for dividing India into two.
The series focuses on the period from Jinnah’s call for Direct Action and the ensuing mass riots to the day when the partition of India was finalized and declared to the citizens by the Congress, the Muslim League, and the British. The story occasionally detours to highlight a character, explain their motivations, or provide context for events, thereby spanning a relatively long timeframe. Notably, the assassination of Gandhi and the subsequent trial—one of the most critical parts of the book—is not covered, suggesting that a second season might follow. Similarly, the RSS and the Hindu Mahasabha, which figured significantly in the book, are not addressed in this season, nor is the migration of Hindu and Muslim populations, the greatest tragedy resulting from the partition. These omissions make me confident that a second season is in the works, especially since the series ends just as the story begins to gain extraordinary momentum. Even the trailer features glimpses of events not covered in the series.
One must commend the producers, including Nikkhil Advani, for putting everything necessary into making a series of this scale. From the outset, the show signals its elaborate and costly production, and it fully leverages marketing potential before presenting itself to viewers. To sell a show of this nature, authenticity in its setting was vital. The grandeur and opulence of the British and Indian leaders are juxtaposed with the dilapidated condition of the general Indian masses. For this contrast to work, the production design, cinematography, and colour grading were crucial. Impressively, these elements come together seamlessly to portray wealth, power, and comfort alongside the horror of poverty and the erosion of humanity caused by mass hysteria and uncontrolled violence.
The series is primarily composed of dialogues—one-on-one conversations, meetings, or large-scale conferences. For this approach to succeed, viewers needed to understand the ramifications of these exchanges in the context of history. Additionally, the dialogue had to be shot and edited in a cinematically engaging way. Nikkhil Advani masterfully achieves both. He also brings nuanced mannerisms to the characters, skillfully conveying their mental states and helping the audience grasp the weight of the unfolding events and their devastating consequences.
One of the most noteworthy sequences of the series is Mountbatten’s visit to Rawalpindi, preceded by a striking dialogue from Jinnah. The depiction of the Calcutta riots and their political toll is equally well-rendered. Advani juxtaposes scenes of violence with the leaders’ deliberations, highlighting the consequences of their decisions or indecisions. I would have preferred these sequences to be more graphic, as this could have brought the raw reality of the partition to life and heightened the story’s impact.
The ensemble cast delivers consistently brilliant performances. My only complaint lies with the atrocious makeup. It is baffling why actors portraying such pivotal figures did not shave their heads to allow the wigs and makeup to blend better. Watching the series on my 65-inch 4K HDR TV revealed such glaring details of the shortcomings of the makeup that my attention was occasionally diverted from the performances to this unsavoury aspect. However, whenever I managed to overlook it, I appreciated the fantastic work of actors like Chirag Vohra (Gandhi), Rajendra Chawla (Sardar Patel), Arif Zakaria (Jinnah), and Sidhant Gupta (Nehru). They put their best foot forward and ensured that the audiences were able to take them for the characters that they were playing. Arif Zakaria clearly has the most emphatic role and he easily outshines everyone else with his sinister yet nuanced performance.
Malay Prakash deserves special mention for his astounding cinematography. His frames resonate with the mood, setting, and nature of the series. His visuals not only accentuate the underlying emotions of each scene but also manage to find cinematic beauty even in the bleakest scenarios. This beauty amplifies the feelings of gloom, helplessness, and loss, enhancing the series’ overall impact. Vijay Ghodke’s art design, Ashutosh Phatak’s score, and Shweta Venkat’s editing also contribute significantly to the success of the series, making us fully grasp the magnitude of the tragedy depicted through the application of these elements in the storytelling.
Freedom at Midnight (the series) is a bold and gripping attempt to bring a crucial chapter of Indian history to life. Nikkhil Advani and his team deserve accolades for their meticulous approach to storytelling, which balances cinematic flair with historical gravity. Despite minor shortcomings in makeup and the occasional omission of key events, the series excels in its narrative, performances, and technical brilliance. It offers a fresh perspective on familiar figures like Gandhi, Nehru, Patel, and Jinnah while shedding light on the complexities of their decisions and the human cost of partition. With its strong foundation and hints at a continuation, the series holds immense promise for a second season that could delve deeper into the unresolved stories and historical intricacies. “Freedom at Midnight” is a burning example of a well-executed historical dramas to educate, engage, and provoke thought.
Rating: 4/5 (4 out of 5 Stars)
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