Nikhil Advani along his writers give an important reminder on the very foundation of our constitution. The consequences of partition felt even today is depicted in a hard-hitting manner. The stellar cast led by Siddhant Gupta is top notch
Starcast: Siddhant Gupta, Rajendra Chawla, Chirag Vohra, Arif Zakaria Luke MC Gibney and others
Genre: Historical drama
Director and creator: Nikhil Advani
Writers: Divy Nidhi Sharma, Revantha Sarabhai etc
Producers: Nikhil Advani and Madhu Bojwani
Production houses: Studio Next &Emmay Entertainment
Music: Ashutosh Patak
Cinematography: Malay Prakash
No of episodes: 7
Streaming site: SonyLiv
There is a very poignant moment in Freedom At Midnight season 2 when Chirag Vohra’s Mahatma Gandhi expresses his anguish over divided India. It goes like this “How you divide pain soaked into the soil? How do you divide regret?”. This is one of the many introspective moments in this solid follow up. The second season takes a deep dive into the human paradox of freedom. As a nation we were free on paper with new filled hopes: but the triumph of freedom came with a huge cost something which we need to remember as a nation especially in today’s politically divisive environment.
For those who haven’t seen season 1 this web series is based on a significant novel of the same name. This elaborately detailed work was written by Larry Collins and Dominquie Lapierre. It was centered around partition with the complex scenarios faced by Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabai Patel and of course Mahatma Gandhi among others. Nikhil Advani did a fantastic job in portraying the leaders with their contradictions.
Season 2 also follows this blueprint. This time around the focus is on the division of India leading to terrible consequences. The loss of humanity with friends becoming foes and the bloodbath that followed forms a major part of Freedom At Midnight Season 2. The series also looks at the mismanagement from both India and Pakistan as the scenarios quickly spiraled out of control.
A strong aspect of Freedom At Midnight Season 2 is how it never romanticizes independence. Nikhil Advani doesn’t shy away from showing the disturbing reality. How the nation became fragile with huge communal and religious divide comes out in a stark manner.
There is a scene where Siddhant Gupta’s Jawaharlal Nehru says in this new India nothing will be decided on the basis of religion. Ek azaad, secular Hindustan ki pehchan sirf insaaniyat hogi”. This is followed by Sardar Vallabhai Patel looking at Nehru with hope as well as unspoken fears.
This foundation of secular Hindustan is something that we have forgotten thanks to the current political environment and certain films which have aided this. Mention must also be made of how the series depicts the character of Radcliffe the man responsible for drawing the line. There are scenes of Radcliffe pleading with Mountbatten on how he knows nothing about the geography and the people of India. But Mountbatten is hell bent that Radcliffe should be the one and also there shouldn’t be much delay. It’s hard to not feel for the situation which Radcliffe finds himself in.
The moments of conflict between Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabai Patel has also come out in an excellent manner. Both Nehru and Vallabai Patel have different ideas regarding the running of governance leading to some showdowns. In spite of the bitter arguments between the two it never takes a venomous side. There is a moment post Gandhi’s death where Vallabai Patel faces an accusation and Jawharlal Nehru stands up for the senior statesmen.
Chirag Vohra as Gandhi is another highlight of the second season. The questions that he asks about the consequences of partition and his firm belief in the method of Ahimsa gives the show some of its best moments.
Arif Zakaria’s Jinnah is mostly a bitter person but even he too gets moments of humanness. The best example of this is his conversation with Jawaharlal Nehru on how the immense bloodshed was never his intention. There is a genuine regret in the voice. There is also an important portion when Jinnah has to leave Bombay post partition. His mood is very much cranky when seeing the house filled with half closed cartons. In an angry tone he asks the sister Fatima Jinnah (underutilized but effective Ira Dubey) on what the hell is happening. She replies that they are going home. There is a certain emptiness in the eyes of Jinnah brilliantly portrayed by Arif Zakaria.
Ashutosh Patak’s music like the first season is haunting here too. They perfectly encapsulate the human tragedy. The cinematography of Malay Prakash is first rate as well. He successfully brings alive the big scale on which the series has been mounted. There is a lived-in feel to the atmospherics.
On the performances front both Siddhant Gupta and Rajendra Sharma are top notch in their respective parts. They lead the acting department with their excellent performances. The talented Siddhant Gupta brings alive Nehru’s determination as well as portraying the internal and external conflicts with authenticity. Rajendra Sharma as the no nonsense Vallabai Patel brings in the required authority in the confrontation scenes with Siddhanth. At the same time, he aces the emotional scenes too. Mention must also be made of Abhishek Benarjee in an extended special appearance. He is both a victim and perpetrator of the riots. His confrontation scene with Chirag Vohra is an example of some solid acting.
Final word: Freedom At Midnight Season 2 is a much-needed history lesson, to learn from our past mistakes and not repeat.
