‘Freedom at Midnight’ Review: Nikkhil Advani’s Series Is a Riveting Yet Compromised Dive Into Political Powerplay Behind India’s Partition (LatestLY Exclusive)

Freedom at Midnight Review: Nikkhil Advani's new series Freedom at Midnight is based on the 1975 book of the same name by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre. Freedom at Midnight focuses on the events leading to India's independence and the simultaneous creation of Pakistan. This was not a peaceful transition; the birth of these nations came at the cost of immense bloodshed, the displacement of countless families, and lasting scars that refuse to heal because our present leaders continue to claw at them. The seven-episode series delves into the political manoeuvrings that resulted in the partition of Hindustan and its profound impact on the psyche of the nascent nations. ‘Freedom at Midnight’: RJ Malishka Mendonsa Undergoes 9-Hour Prosthetic Transformation for Her Role As Sarojini Naidu.

With the British Empire, weakened by World War II, now determined to relinquish its hold over India, the plan was to transfer power to the Congress Party, then led by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (Sidhant Gupta) and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (Rajendra Chawla). However, Mohammed Ali Jinnah (Arif Zakaria), leader of the Muslim League, demanded a separate province for Muslims, which soon evolved into a demand for an independent nation.

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Mahatma Gandhi (Chirag Vohra), recognising Jinnah’s intention to split the country, urged Congress to appoint Nehru over Patel as the first Prime Minister, believing Nehru, his most dedicated follower, could avert partition. Yet, History tells a different story. Jinnah and his supporters resorted to violence, sparking conflicts that marked one of the darkest chapters in India's history.

Freedom at Midnight captivates by providing a nuanced look at the intricate politics that influenced decisions reshaping two (later, three) nations forever. For decades, theories and accusations have circulated about whether the leaders at the time could have taken a different path. Did Congress capitulate to Jinnah too easily? Jinnah himself, notorious for his incessant smoking, only lived to see one year of a free Pakistan. These questions remain without definitive answers, yet the series navigates through many situations that demand 'what ifs'.

What if Sardar Patel had been chosen as the first Prime Minister instead of Nehru? What if Gandhi had not slighted Jinnah during their initial meeting? What if Nehru and Patel had been more receptive to Jinnah when he sought peace? What if Nehru had been more discerning about the intentions of Lord Mountbatten (Luke McGibney), India's last Viceroy, and the British? What if Patel had agreed to Gandhi's request to offer Jinnah the Prime Minister's chair to maintain national unity? And so the questions go on.

Mistakes were made, and critical oversights occurred. The series does not shy away from portraying these, but it also suggests that there was no clear solution at the time. Nehru is portrayed as increasingly despondent in each episode while caught in the dilemma of choosing between minimising bloodshed and upholding his mentor’s ideals. Freedom at Midnight critically examines these figures without indulging in harmful propaganda and dispels some notorious theories that persist today, such as claims that Nehru's relationship with Lady Edwina Mountbatten (Cordelia Bugeja) delayed independence by two years or that Patel, who ultimately supported partition, could have prevented it.

There is a discernible bias in the portrayal of Jinnah, who comes across (pardon the Game of Thrones comparison) as a blend of Littlefinger's cunning and Cersei Lannister's cold calculation. The show depicts his demand for a separate Muslim region as stemming from hurt egos, and while there could be truth in that, and there is no denying his culpability in the ensuing violence, the whole picture feels never shown. Notably, the series sidesteps the activities of the Hindu Mahasabha during this period, only alluding to them in the final scene foreshadowing Gandhi’s assassination. This cautious approach may be due to the current political climate, and it’s hard to fault Advani for avoiding trouble.

While the political drama is riveting, Advani occasionally resorts to melodramatic flourishes that could have been toned down. For instance, during Gandhi's initial disappointment with Nehru for not accompanying him to the violence-ravaged Noakhali, the background score swells with “Ekla Chalo Re”—an embellishment that felt unnecessary. Freedom at Midnight: Cordelia Bugeja and Richard Teverson to Star in Nikkhil Advani’s Series

Freedom at Midnight excels when it centres on the Indian cabinet, Jinnah's strategic moves, and Gandhi’s moral struggles. However, it loses momentum when focusing on the British, particularly the Mountbatten couple. Though their role in the chaos is significant, these scenes evoke memories of Gurinder Chadha's utterly forgettable Viceroy's House—a comparison the show could have avoided. Edwina Mountbatten is still an interesting character who keeps giving her husband and whoever listens to her 'truth' checks from time to time. It is just that the British get away with some leeway for the mess they created in the first place that began with their 'Divide and Rule' police.

Among the cast, Rajendra Chawla stands out, seizing a rare opportunity to shine as India’s first Home Minister. His hard-nosed portrayal offers an earthy counterpoint to the privileged, Harvard-educated Nehru and yet has more influence on him than Gandhi at this point. The show's rare light moment sees them playful sparring with each other as they navigate the Viceroy’s palatial mansion. Though it takes some adjustment to his wig and affected accent, Sidhant Gupta's performance is commendable.

Chirag Vohra convincingly portrays Mahatma Gandhi, capturing his speech patterns, body language, and emotional turmoil in his final years. Arif Zakaria impressively conveys Jinnah’s cold arrogance without slipping into caricature. Malishka Mendonsa (Sarojini Naidu), Ira Dubey (Fatima Jinnah), Rajesh Kumar (Liaquat Ali Khan) are other prominent Indian actors in the cast. However, the makeup for some of the actors, including Siddhant, leaves much to be desired. I mean, Malishka hardly looks like Sarojini Naidu.

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Freedom at Midnight is an ambitious, well-acted, and thoughtful series that attempts to present a layered narrative. It acknowledges the complexities of leadership, the weight of difficult choices that went behind our partition, and the haunting consequences that follow. While it might tread carefully around certain sensitive topics, the series manages to maintain a balance between historical insight and dramatic storytelling. Freedom at Midnight is streaming on SonyLIV.

(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 15, 2024 09:26 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).