• 3 weeks ago
In another interview with the cast of ‘Freedom at Midnight,’ the actors discussed their reasons for choosing this series and the roles they play. They reflected on their understanding of the partition and its profound impact on the nation. The conversation also highlighted the portrayal of Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the series, depicting him as a villainous figure.

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Transcript
00:00One reason which made me do the series is it's a very elaborate, complex, popular book and certain books you read all your life you think that nothing can be made on it, it's so complicated and layered.
00:17So when someone makes it and dares to make it, then you feel you are fortunate enough to have been called by them and to be a part of it.
00:27A. You play big iconic figures. The story is based upon many iconic big historical figures. I am playing Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
00:35To understand the complexity of the man, the mindset of the man and what made him, the factors which led to him being the Qaid-e-Azam.
00:48So this book, this story and this script more importantly shows it.
00:54So I felt it was no contest. As an actor one always looks for such parts and for such challenges and as simple as that really.
01:04Nothing beyond that and the production house is very reputed. Nikhil Advani is a very reputed director.
01:08His body of work is immense if you see it. So it was all in all, all positive great things in the project.
01:16And I just had to walk in and feel fortunate that I was a part of the project.
01:22Arif ji has said everything. Jokes aside I agree with Arif whatever he said about it's a terrific production house.
01:33Nikhil is somebody who is very passionate about his work and also this material.
01:37His passion for this subject because he is a big history buff is very infectious.
01:43And it shows in every aspect of this show. So I think we are very lucky to be part of it.
01:49But on top of that I also feel that partition, mere le I think the big attraction was immediately that somebody is making a show about partition.
01:58A time in our history and in our destiny as a race and as a country that we are so fascinated by.
02:05We don't know enough about and we don't know the full picture about.
02:08There are always so many angles and so many perspectives with which you can look at a time like that in history.
02:14So for me that was very exciting to be a part of someone, a group of people who are trying to tell a story about partition.
02:20And B playing a character like Fatima Jinnah who very few people know a lot about specially in our country.
02:28She was a very very strong woman who had a burning desire for Pakistan as much as her brother.
02:33And whose relationship with her brother was a very fascinating one.
02:36You don't see relationships like that very often. So as an actor it was very exciting and I found it to be a real challenge.
02:45I think all three of us have similar answers which is the truth.
02:53And I will tell you in listicle format Nikhil Advani and MA Entertainment and Sony Live.
02:58Eventually finding out that they are the ones who are going to take this amazing project forward.
03:04That is more than enough.
03:06But the most important one would have been that at such a stage of your career where you are almost at the beginning.
03:13You are being given such a big responsibility that you are a historical figure about whom the world knows.
03:20You are going to flesh them out and bring them in front of the world.
03:23That to me was one of the most interesting things.
03:26And number three was because I knew that through this I would get a chance to experience so much in just one series.
03:36Right from what it is like to shoot with crowds.
03:39What it is like, was it like 1947 say.
03:42What it is like to live in prosthetic makeup for hours and hours of your day.
03:48Sweating under it and yet delivering.
03:51I cannot tell you what this show.
03:53See what actors go through.
03:54It has been to understand that part of life.
03:57I feel like I have learnt everything in this one show.
04:00I mean I have learnt it, we will see in future.
04:05But there is no reason an actor would say no to something like Freedom at Midnight.
04:16Its impact on families, of course it did.
04:17I think in every family, in your family, in my family, in his family, in Arif sir's family.
04:25There are stories of partition.
04:27You will have some emotional connection with some relative or loved one from partition.
04:35So I think to tell us in 2024 again.
04:40What were the risks, what were the motivations, what was the thought process, what were the strategies.
04:46What were the costs at which our leaders took the decisions that they took.
04:50To not only get our freedom from the British Empire.
04:53But to also at what cost.
04:55The birth of one nation was the splitting of another very large nation.
04:59And what happened because of that.
05:01The repercussions of that, the ripple effect of that is still ongoing.
05:04Somebody just asked us about what we think about Hindu-Muslim strife, the relationship.
05:11It began that time, the time of Freedom at Midnight.
05:15And it is something that has been misinterpreted, blown out of proportion.
05:21It boils down to the individual of course.
05:24But it's important for us to understand the impact of what happened during those two years.
05:30Those very crucial years.
05:32Just before independence, right up to partition and just after.
05:38And yes, I think families today and especially young people, older people will resonate with it emotionally.
05:43The story, because of their own experiences.
05:46And younger people will get, it will be an eye-opener and an education for them.
05:50So it is a must watch.
05:57To a large extent, historically he has caused it.
06:00To a large extent.
06:04Also a lot of other factors were responsible to form the philosophy of Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
06:10As we come to know through the show.
06:12So I think it's a very pivotal, if I can't use any other word.
06:17Which is a small word to use for Jinnah, I think he is an antagonist in the story.
06:21So I think from that point of view, it becomes a very pivotal part.
06:28And second part, I mean all characters in the show impact each other.
06:34There is no isolated impact of any character to another.
06:37If there was no Gandhi, perhaps there would be no Jinnah.
06:41If there was no Gandhi's non-cooperation philosophy he began with, there would be no talk of partition.
06:47The conflict which started that perhaps was the difference between Gandhi's ideology and Jinnah's.
06:52Gandhi had a much superior, I would say right now in hindsight.
06:56Because he travelled all over the world.
06:58Jinnah sat in his beautiful chamber and was an intellectual.
07:00He strategised well.
07:02Gave a philosophy which he thought may not work.
07:04But Gandhi's philosophy was based on hardcore village experience.
07:09Experiences he took when he travelled around India.
07:12So all the characters are interdependent on each other.
07:15There can't be anything in isolation of each other.
07:18So I think in that sense, it's a bouquet of diverse personalities in the show.
07:23Which makes it effective.
07:27I'm not saying he's shown as a villain in what we understand in a regular Bollywood film.
07:34They also have the gumption to show the reasons why Jinnah became who he was.
07:41Or who he is. Or the impression we have.
07:43What he did impacted millions of people, yes.
07:47What he did, whether it was right or wrong, is all subjective.
07:50Depends on what you feel.
07:51I as an Indian perhaps am impacted by that.
07:54And I feel, yes, I wish if the partition hadn't happened.
07:57Life would perhaps be different for all of us.
07:59For 1 billion people.
08:01How India would have been as a big country in the subcontinent.
08:05But that is not my lookout.
08:07I am confined to the written word.
08:09I am confined to what the script dictates Jinnah did.
08:14It's like any other villainous character in history.
08:17If I can say Ravan's character.
08:19Just to understand Hindu mythology.
08:21Ravan's character or Hitler's character.
08:23Or any other villain in even modern contemporary history.
08:27We understand as traditionally villains.
08:29Factors which lead them to behave the way they are.
08:32Why they behave in a certain way.
08:34What are the political factors?
08:36What are the social factors?
08:38What is their individual DNA?
08:40Which makes them behave in a strange, strong way.
08:42As a consequence of which they come out with an ideology.
08:45Which may seem convoluted.
08:48But it's always good to understand a strong, negative ideology.
08:54As opposed to understanding what a good, positive ideology could have been.
08:59I think that's the impact Jinnah has on all of us.
09:02Right or wrong is your perception.
09:04What you believe is right, so is the philosophy of the man.

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