''Freedom at Midnight'' is a 2024 Indian

Hindi-language Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of the Government of India, alongside English, and is the ''lin ...

historical drama A historical drama (also period drama, period piece or just period) is a dramatic work set in the past, usually used in the context of film and television, which presents history, historical events and characters with varying degrees of fiction s ...

web series streaming on

Sony LIV Sony LIV is an Indian subscription video-on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Culver Max Entertainment. Sony LIV was introduced in 2013 as the first OTT service in India. As a streaming service, it provides live sports, origina ...

, adapted from the book of the same name, authored by

Dominique Lapierre Dominique Lapierre (30 July 1931 – 2 December 2022) was a French author. Life Dominique Lapierre was born in Châtelaillon-Plage, Charente-Maritime, France. At the age of thirteen, he travelled to the U.S. with his father who was a diploma ...

and Larry Collins. Created and directed by

Nikkhil Advani Nikkhil Suresh Advani (born 28 April 1971) is an Indian director, producer and screenwriter who works in Hindi cinema. He along with his sister, Monisha Advani and Madhu Bhojwani, co-founded the entertainment company Emmay Entertainment. Early ...

, the series delves into the 1947

partition of India The partition of India in 1947 was the division of British India into two independent dominion states, the Dominion of India, Union of India and Dominion of Pakistan. The Union of India is today the Republic of India, and the Dominion of Paki ...

. The first season was released on 15 November 2024, and a second season was announced later that month.

Cast and characters

Sidhant Gupta Sidhant Gupta (born 23 April 1989) is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Hindi television and films. He made his film debut in 2012 with ''Tutiya Dil'' and starred in Zee TV's soap opera ''Tashan-e-Ishq'' (2015–2016) as well as in the ...

Jawaharlal Nehru Jawaharlal Nehru (14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat, and statesman who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20th century. Nehru was a pr ...

Chirag Vohra Chirag Vohra is an Indian television, stage and film actor. He has acted in films like '' Tere Bin Laden'', '' Billu'', ''Heyy Babyy'', '' Mangal Pandey: The Rising'', '' Jaago'' and ''Rehnaa Hai Terre Dil Mein'' and Scam 1992 (2020). He is w ...

Mahatma Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalism, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethics, political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful Indian ...

Rajendra Chawla Rajendra Chawla is an Indian actor. He is predominantly known for his roles in the films ''A Wednesday!'', ''Mumbai Mirror'', '' M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story'', and '' Paisa Paisa'', and the television series '' Saas Bina Sasural'', ''Ghar Ki La ...

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel (; ''Vallabhbhāī Jhāverbhāī Paṭel''; 31 October 1875 – 15 December 1950), commonly known as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, was an Indian independence activist and statesman who served as the first Deputy Prime ...

* Luke McGibney as

Lord Mountbatten Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy), Admiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (born Prince Louis of Battenberg; 25 June 1900 – 27 August 1979), commonly known as Lord Mountbatten, was ...

Cordelia Bugeja Cordelia Bugeja (born 5 March 1976) is a British actress, best known for her roles as Julie in ''Not Going Out'', Nikki in ''EastEnders'', Melanie Hart in ''Family Affairs'', and sex worker Kate in '' Respectable''. Career From 1993 to 1994 s ...

Edwina Mountbatten Edwina Cynthia Annette Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma (' Ashley; 28 November 1901 – 21 February 1960), was an English heiress, socialite, relief worker and the last vicereine of India as the wife of (the then) Rear Admiral The 1st ...

Malishka Mendonsa Malishka Mendonsa, popularly known as RJ Malishka, is an Indian radio personality. She participated in the YouTube Originals series ''Pretty Fit'' hosted by Prajakta Koli. Malishka hosts ''Morning No. 1 with Malishka'' on the Red FM 93.5 radio ...

Sarojini Naidu Sarojini Naidu (Birth name, née Chattopadhyay) (; 13 February 1879 – 2 March 1949) was an Indian political activist and poet who served as the first Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Governor of United Provinces, after Independence Day (India), Indi ...

Arif Zakaria Arif Zakaria (born 11 November 1966) is an Indian actor. He has had roles in many films, beginning with his debut film '' Darmiyaan'' (1997), '' 1947: Earth'' (1998), ''Dance Like a Man'' (2004), and biographical projects '' Mardana'' and the co ...

Mohammad Ali Jinnah Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monotheistic teachings of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, ...

Pawan Chopra Pawan Chopra is an Indian actor who works in Hindi films, television, and commercials. Filmography Films Television Web series References External links * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Chopra, Pawan 21st-century Indian male actors Indian male ...

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Abul Kalam Ghulam Muhiyuddin (11 November 188822 February 1958), better known as Maulana Azad and sometimes referred as Abul Kalam Azad, was an Indian politician, writer and activist of the Indian independence movement. A senior leader of t ...

Ira Dubey Ira Dubey is an Indian actress who has appeared on TV, in theatre and in Bollywood films. __TOC__ Biography Ira Dubey is currently based in Mumbai. Dubey was born in Delhi, India to Ravi Dubey and Lillete Dubey, an actress. She has one sist ...

Fatima Jinnah Fatima Jinnah (31 July 18939 July 1967) was a Pakistani politician, stateswoman, author, and Activism, activist. She was the younger sister of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the List of Pakistan Movement activists, founder and first governor-general of ...

* Rajesh Kumar as

Liaquat Ali Khan Liaquat Ali Khan (1 October 189516 October 1951) was a Pakistani lawyer, politician and statesman who served as the first prime minister of Pakistan The prime minister of Pakistan (, Roman Urdu, romanized: Wazīr ē Aʿẓam , ) is the he ...

* K.C. Shankar as

V.P. Menon Vappala Pangunni Menon (30 September 1893 – 31 December 1965) was an Indian civil servant who served as Secretary to the Government of India in the States Department, Ministry of the States, under Sardar Patel. By appointment from Governor-Gen ...

* Andrew Cullum as

Clement Attlee Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee (3 January 18838 October 1967) was a British statesman who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951 and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955. At ...

* Alistair Findlay as

Archibald Wavell Field Marshal Archibald Percival Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell, (5 May 1883 – 24 May 1950) was a senior officer of the British Army. He served in the Second Boer War, the Bazar Valley Campaign and the First World War, during which he was wounded ...

* Ed Robinson as George Abell * Richard Madison as

Hastings Ismay General Hastings Lionel "Pug" Ismay, 1st Baron Ismay (21 June 1887 – 17 December 1965) was a British politician, diplomat and general in the British Indian Army who was the first secretary general of NATO. He also was Winston Churchill's chi ...

* Richard Teverson as Sir Cyril Radcliffe * Ahalya Shetty as

Indira Gandhi Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (Given name, ''née'' Nehru; 19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was an Indian politician and stateswoman who served as the Prime Minister of India, prime minister of India from 1966 to 1977 and again from 1980 un ...

* Guy Pinsent as

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of In ...

Anuvab Pal Anuvab Pal (born 27 April 1976) is an Indian stand up comedian, screenwriter, playwright and novelist. He is occasionally featured as a rotating co-host on season 4 of the podcast ''The Bugle''. Career Pal co-wrote the 2007 Indian comedy ''L ...

Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy (8 September 18925 December 1963) was an East Pakistani barrister, politician and statesman who served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1956 to 1957 and before that as the Prime Minister of Bengal from 1946 to ...

* Simon Feilder as

Evan Meredith Jenkins Sir Evan Meredith Jenkins (2 February 1896 – 19 November 1985) was a British colonial administrator and the last governor of the Punjab Province (British India), Punjab Province of British India. Life He was a son of John Lewis Jenkins, Si ...

Episodes

Release

The first teaser for ''Freedom at Midnight'' was released on 30 July 2024.

Reception

NDTV New Delhi Television Ltd is an Indian news media company focusing on broadcast and digital news publication. It was founded in 1984 by economist Prannoy Roy and journalist Radhika Roy. NDTV began as a production house for news segments, ...

Saibal Chatterjee Saibal Chatterjee is an Indian film critic, editor and documentary screenwriter. He was a columnist at ''BBC News'', ''Business Standard'', ''Hindustan Times'' and '' The Financial Express''. He has also written for ''The Telegraph'', ''The Tim ...

gave the show 4 stars out of 5 and praised the acting, saying, "Freedom at Midnight isn't driven by A-list stars but by actors who painstakingly and confidently flesh out the towering historical figures".

Shubhra Gupta Shubhra Gupta is an Indian film critic who writes for ''The Indian Express''. She received the Ramnath Goenka Award for Best Writing on Cinema in 2012. She was a member of the Central Board of Film Certification from 2012 to 2015. She is the au ...

of ''

The Indian Express ''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932 by P. Varadarajulu Naidu. It is headquartered in Noida, owned by the ''Indian Express Group''. It was later taken over by Ramnath Goenka. In 1999, eight y ...

'' rated it 2.5 stars and said that "...sprawling yet pacy, the Nikkhil Advani series brings to life the story of India and Pakistan, which came into existence at that stroke of the midnight hour immortalised in the haunting words of Nehru." Arushi Jain of ''

India Today ''India Today'' is a weekly Indian English-language news magazine published by Living Media, Living Media India Limited. It is the most widely circulated magazine in India, with a readership of close to 8 million. In 2014, ''India Today'' laun ...

'' gave it 4 stars out of 5 and observed that "The Nikkhil Advani show has a light, easygoing way of telling the story, weaving together different threads that build up quietly. The dialogues and performances strike emotional chords effectively." Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in wrote in her review that "Freedom at Midnight doesn't want to be a show that you curl up to watch on Independence Day, a flag by your side and happiness in your heart. Rather than pride about the struggle that led to the end of British rule in 1947." Devansh Sharma of ''

Hindustan Times ''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English language, English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media Limited, an entity controlled by the Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia, the daughter o ...

'' wrote that "Nikkhil Advani's period drama captures the road to India's Independence and Partition and the sprawling, layered show is India's answer to The Crown."

Firstpost Firstpost is an Indian news website owned by Network18 Group, which also runs CNN-News18 and CNBC TV18. It has posted misinformation on multiple occasions. The Network 18 group was originally owned by Raghav Bahl. In January 2012, the gro ...

's Vinamra Mathur stated that "As much as the filmmaker should be lauded for stepping away from the world of big stars, the ensemble he has created for his show are both hit and miss".

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, tt28102595
''Freedom at Midnight''
on

SonyLIV Sony LIV is an Indian subscription video-on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Culver Max Entertainment. Sony LIV was introduced in 2013 as the first OTT service in India. As a streaming service, it provides live sports, origina ...

2024 Indian television series debuts Indian drama television series Hindi-language television shows SonyLIV original programming Cultural depictions of Jawaharlal Nehru Cultural depictions of Mahatma Gandhi Cultural depictions of Vallabhbhai Patel Cultural depictions of Muhammad Ali Jinnah Cultural depictions of Indira Gandhi Partition of India in fiction Television series by Sony Pictures Television