Freedom At Midnight Review: Trysts twists and history

Freedom At Midnight directed by Nikkhil Advani is an interpretation of Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre’s seminal novel of the same name. It offers a compelling and nuanced portrayal of India’s tumultuous journey to independence, focusing on the intricate dynamics between its key leaders, particularly Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru during the years when balance of power got shifted from the British to the Indian leadership

Patel emerges as the more grounded and effective leader in the series. His ability to tackle complex challenges head-on are highlighted throughout. In stark contrast to Nehru’s idealism and, at times, indecisiveness, Patel is portrayed as the practical, solution-oriented counterpart. Director Advani presents Nehru as a dedicated and visionary figure, yet one who struggled with the political realities of the time. Nehru’s idealism often clashed with the pragmatic demands of Partition, and his decisions are depicted as fraught with difficulties. The series suggests that while Nehru’s commitment to a united India was unwavering, his occasional indecisiveness and diplomatic approach sometimes hindered more immediate, practical solutions.

Nehru’s personal relationships are also examined in the series, particularly his complex rapport with Lord Mountbatten, his wife Edwina, and with his mentor and ideal, Gandhiji. While Advani does not portray Nehru as weak, he highlights his vulnerability in the face of immense pressure, showing that his leadership was not without flaws. Nehru’s personal vision for India, which often took precedence, sometimes made it difficult for him to manage the conflicting demands from various political factions, including the British and the Muslim League.

In contrast to Nehru and Patel, Mahatma Gandhi is shown as a larger-than-life figure who remains incorruptible to his ideals till the end. Gandhi believed that a true leader should reach out to people and give his all to the betterment of his motherland. He’s shown going to places where Hindu Muslim riots were at their peak and diffusing tension. But he’s not superhuman. He can’t be everywhere and slowly witnesses the disintegration of his dream of a united India. In the end, he’s more than a little hurt and sad that his life-long struggle hasn’t borne the fruit he desired.

Then there’s Mohammad Ali Jinnah. It’s said while Nehru was interested in making history, Jinnah was interested in Geography. Jinnah is portrayed as a megalomaniac who doesn’t take kindly to the fact that Gandhi and Nehru have eclipsed him. His ego leads him to ask for a separate Muslim state and he gets his wish in the end when Punjab and Bengal are divided in half to form Pakistan. It’s his call for Direct Action which leads to the riots, making a separate state a reality.

And apart from them all and yet at the centre of things stand the British, symbolised by the husband and wife tag team of Louis and Edwina Mountbatten. They carry the White Man’s burden of bringing peace and harmony during the turbulent times. They are portrayed as having India’s best interest at heart and shown grieving when its leaders make a choice for Partition. Let’s not forget that Mountbatten was called upon to ensure both India and Pakistan remained Britain’s dominions even after Independence. And that India remained one till 1950, when it became a sovereign Republic after adapting its own constitution. Pakistan remained a dominion till 1956. The show doesn’t tell us why both the Congress and the Muslim League agreed to this demand of the British. From the 1930s onwards, both parties were fighting for Poorna Swaraj – total freedom. So this change in stance is strange indeed and could have benefitted from an examination.

Subhash Chandra Bose and Dr BR Ambedkar are absent from the present narrative. From the 1920s, much like Nehru, to 1938-39, Bose was very much enamoured by Gandhi’s ideals and was part of the Congress central command. And Ambedkar, before he famously framed India’s constitution, which led to it being declared a Republic, was a known social reformer whose views were taken into consideration when the negotiations for Independence were taking place. It’s baffling to see two prominent historical figures being absent from a historical drama.

Rajendra Chawla has outdone himself as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. He truly gets into the spirit of the pragmatic and practical leader who knew it’s not possible to make everyone happy. His scenes with both Gandhi and Nehru are the highlight of the series. Chirag Vohra doesn’t have Gandhiji’s eyes, which brimmed with compassion for everyone. But his voice, mannerisms and body language mirrors that of the Mahatma. He’s able to lend a moral uprightness to his character. Sidhant Gupta just doesn’t cut ice as Jawaharlal Nehru. He’s a fine actor but one feels he was overwhelmed by the task he was given. He’s shown acting more like a hot-headed Punjabi youth than a world leader known for his statesmanship and gravitas. The aura of Nehru is missing from Sidhant’s portrayal. Nehru’s physicality, his robustness too is absent. Arif Zakaria brings out Jinnah’s anger for sure but we don’t see the man in totality in this portrayal. He was one of the most colourful figures of the freedom movement, a person more British than the British and yet who batted for radical Islam. We’re not shown what brought this sea change. British actor Cordelia Bugeja has done a fairly decent job as Edwina Mountbatten. Her spiritual fascination for Nehru hasn’t come out though. Luke McGibney plays Lord Louis Mountbatten with panache. He closely resembles the historical figure, so that’s half the battle won. Mountbatten’s nickname was Dickie and Luke is more Dickie than Lord Mountbatten here.

In conclusion, Freedom At Midnight, which is visually opulent, provides a balanced view of the leaders who were central to the transfer of power. It acknowledges Gandhiji’s monumental role in India’s independence while emphasising Nehru’s and Patel’s leadership during the handover stage. Nehru was the idealistic visionary and Patel was the pragmatic unifier. Both of whom were instrumental in shaping the India that emerged from the throes of Partition. The series’ end hints at a season 2, where perhaps we’ll see Patel exercising his ingenuity to bring the Indian royalty to its senses, Ambedkar racing to draft the constitution within the given time frame and Nehru emerging as India’s conscience keeper after Gandhiji’s murder…Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre’s Freedom At Midnight is adapted as a series. Continue reading …Read More