Freedom At Midnight Review: Old world charm is the saving grace of this reductive, dense historical drama

I am a sucker for Partition stories, both fictionalized or historically accurate, so naturally expectations from ‘Freedom at Night’, SonyLiv's six-episode series which explores the ins and outs of India's partition, were high. From the Indian Muslim League's demand of a majority Muslim nation to All India Congress lobbying for a united India, the series takes us into the AIC's meetings where we see Gandhi, Nehru, Patel discuss, debate the future of India.

Freedom At Midnight: Plot

They lock horns with Muhammad Ali Jinnah (played by Arif Zakariah), a snobbish old man who would go to any extreme to get a separate Muslim nation. Chirag Vohra plays Mahatma Gandhi, whose frown, reminiscent of Bapu’s facial features, is simply lackluster even with all the prosthetic makeup.

A very obviously young looking Sidhant Gupta plays Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. you can see that It is a young millennial playing a man much older than him. All of this to say that the make-up and prosthetic department leave a lot to be desired as does the casting department as most of these young actors playing older, formidable figures aren't convincing at all.

Freedom At Midnight: Performances

You just don't feel the gravitas and the weight of their dialogues when they speak. This is the show's biggest weakness. In some ways, the show also comes across as a diplomatic drama where the Viceroy is pressurized by Churchill-led government to exit India but the deadlock between All India Muslim League and All India Congress makes matters worse. Meanwhile, Lord Mountbatten (Luke McGibney) and Edwina Mountbatten (Cordilia Bugeja) spar over India's future.

While Edwina respects India's sovereignty and comes across as a supporter of Russian communism, the Lord and Viceroys argue that it was Britain who made India—which was earlier divided into provinces—a unified nation. Without a doubt, Edwina Mountbatten is the single most convincing character in the series.

Freedom At Midnight: Writing And Direction

She is the voice of reason among the Viceroys/Lords/Churchill followers who stands her ground. She is aware of the role played by the British in exploiting India for years under their oppressive communal rule. Another woman character worth rooting for is Fatima Jinnah, Muhammad Ali Jinnah's sister, played by the versatile Ira Dubey.

In many ways, Fatima shows a mirror to Jinah—he is using the demand for Pakistan as a bargaining chip—that he wants to be equal to Gandhi. She is the perfect antidote to Jinnah's hubris and single-handedly gives him much-needed reality checks.

Freedom At Midnight: What Works, What Doesn't

Barring the nukkad naatak-esque prosthetics and self-serious dialogues which seem overdramatic, ‘Freedom At Midnight’ is a decent attempt at exploring the inner-workings of India's Partition. A behind-the-scenes sneak peek of sorts into India's freedom struggle.

The opening sequence seems heavily inspired by Game of Thrones. Don't expect Rocket Boys-level nuance when it comes to Nehru's depiction. The show is educational, informational but not the groundbreaking show on Indian Partition/Independence you'd expect. You might as well like the old aesthetic and the yesteryears charm which is one of the few things it gets right.

Star rating: 2 / 5 stars

All episodes of Freedom At Midnight are now streaming on SonyLiv.