Actor Arif Zakaria will play Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah, while Ira Dubey will portray the role of Jinnah’s sister Fatima in the upcoming political thriller series Freedom at Midnight, to stream on SonyLIV later this year.
“In preparing to portray Muhammad Ali Jinnah, I realised how important it was to depict him as a flawed and complicated human being rather than an untouchable hero,” actor Zakaria said in a statement.
Expressing her excitement about portraying a personality like Fatima Jinnah in the series, Ira said, “Freedom at Midnight marks my second collaboration with Sony LIV after Potluck. My role in this series is unlike any other I have played in the past, bringing me a unique yet challenging opportunity as an actor.”
She added, “Fatima’s bond with her brother, Jinnah, and her influence on him is a lesser-known aspect. She played a significant role in his life, standing by him from the start until the end, and the series will shed light on this dynamic relationship."
Directed by Nikkhil Advani, the series is based on India's struggle for independence, drawing from the 1975 eponymous book by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre. It intertwines lesser-known stories and pivotal moments from the era of British colonial rule, including the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947.
Apart from Arif Zakaria and Ira Dubey, the series also features Sidhant Gupta, Chirag Vohra and Rajendra Chawla in pivotal roles.
