If ever an Indian web series could give you the feeling of living through history while simultaneously placing you at an arm’s length from the action, it would be the Nikkhil Advani-directed Freedom at Midnight, streaming on SonyLIV.
Adapted from Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins’s book, the historical drama revisits the pivotal years before Indian independence and the horrors of Partition. Advani — who had earlier found success with the web series Mumbai Diaries, set during the 26/11 attacks — tries to capture the political intrigue of a crucial period of Indian history by presenting the ideological conflicts and ego clashes between its leaders.
The series begins in May 1946, with a power vacuum created by the departing Britishers and the Indian political titans struggling to come to a consensus about the future leadership. There’s Viceroy Wavell (succeeded by Mountbatten soon after), desperate to get out of a troubled British colony. On the Indian side, Jawaharlal Nehru (Sidhant Gupta), Vallabhbhai Patel (Rajendra Chawla) and Mahatma Gandhi (Chirag Vohra) are wrestling with Muhammad Ali Jinnah (Arif Zakaria), the leader of the Muslim League, over the creation of Pakistan.
Advani brings the historical bigwigs down to the earth, portraying them as both visionary and flawed — complex personalities whose decisions would go on to impact millions and for decades to come.
Patel is shown as a sensible pragmatist who balances the dreams of his peers with the harsher realities. He is calm, insightful and, most importantly, convincing, often speaking in Gujarati to show his ‘Indianness’ compared to the English-speaking Nehru and Jinnah. This directorial choice showcases Patel as an indispensable leader.
Sidhant Gupta, who plays Nehru, comes across as overly stiff. While his awkward, boyish charm doesn’t quite go with the character’s stature, he manages, in brief flashes, to convey the intellectual and emotional strains Nehru faced. Chirag Vohra’s performance as Gandhi also comes across as uneven. At times, Vohra taps into the Mahatma’s quiet yet commanding presence; at others, the accent, mannerisms and prosthetics together veer towards a caricature. The portrayal of Jinnah and the Muslim League feels like an oversimplication of a complex socio-political episode.
Yet, there are some impactful scenes, particularly in the final episodes, where the nationalist figure V.P. Menon (K.C. Shankar) becomes a quiet hero, representing India’s loyal bureaucratic class. A voice of reason amidst the political theatrics, Menon observes the back-and-forth manipulation of the British and the Muslim League. He exemplifies those who fought the battle for freedom in less glamorous ways, often working behind the scenes.
Advani’s Freedom at Midnight ends with India achieving Independence, with the next season poised to deal with the aftermath of the Partition. That seems exciting as the groundwork has been laid for a series willing to ask difficult questions about an uncomfortable, oft-celebrated chapter in history.
