Malishka Mendonsa spent nearly four hours daily perfecting her prosthetic makeup to portray Sarojini Naidu in Sony LIV series Freedom at Midnight, with one particular makeup session stretching to nine hours, she revealed in a statement.
Reflecting on the makeup process, the radio host-actress said she spent up to four hours each day in the makeup chair. “Wearing prosthetics was a unique challenge. I would spend hours in makeup each day—one day it was 9 hours —just to get the prosthetics right. It wasn’t only about looking like Sarojini Naidu; I also had to cope with the practical difficulties —melting prosthetics in the sun, sweating on my face underneath it, needing to stay in the shade and sitting in front of an AC for my face all the time to stop it from melting off,” she added.
Thanking her team for their unwavering support, Malishka said, “From the makeup artists to our director, Nikkhil Advani, everyone played a key role in ensuring every detail was perfect. That dedication was constant on set—every actor and crew member worked together for the greater good of the show. Despite the challenges, the results are breathtaking. I can’t wait for people to see it. It’s something truly special.”
Freedom at Midnight is set to premiere on SonyLIV on November 15. Based on the eponymous book by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins, the series will chronicle the political events that took place during India’s year of independence. It begins with the appointment of British India’s last viceroy, Lord Mountbatten, and ends with Gandhi’s assassination and funeral the following year.
Produced by Emmay Entertainment in association with StudioNext, the show is created by Nikkhil Advani as the showrunner and director.
The series features a stellar cast, including Sidhant Gupta as Jawaharlal Nehru, Chirag Vohra as Mahatma Gandhi, Rajendra Chawla as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Arif Zakaria as Muhammad Ali Jinnah. While Ira Dubey plays Fatima Jinnah, Rajesh Kumar has been cast as Liaquat Ali Khan. KC Shankar Luke McGibney, Cordelia Bugeja, Alistair Finlay, Andrew Cullum and Richard Teverson also feature in pivotal roles.
