This political drama, adapted from Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins’ seminal book of the same name, vividly portrays pivotal events and figures that shaped the nation’s fate.
Sidhant Gupta, who takes on the role of Jawaharlal Nehru, recalled his first meeting with Advani. “When this somehow found me, I met Nikkhil, sir. He looked at my nose, looked me in the eye, and said, ‘You’re my Nehru.’ After that, I just wanted to understand if I could play him,” Gupta shared, reflecting on the director’s confidence and the detailed preparation required to step into Nehru’s shoes.
Chirag Vohra, who transforms into a younger Mahatma Gandhi, spoke about the physical and emotional demands of the role.
“The biggest pressure was to lose weight, then the prosthetics, and most importantly, portraying Gandhi accurately,” he said. “We have plenty of references for his older look, but for the young Gandhi, I focused on how he might have spoken.”
Advani’s guidance was clear: “When Chirag first came to my office, I said, ‘You were born to play this role, but you have to lose 15 kilos.’”
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For Rajendra Chawla, capturing Sardar Patel’s essence was a distinct challenge, given the limited archival material. Chawla studied Patel’s consistent tone, remarking, “His tonal quality never changed, whether addressing one person or thousands.”
This, along with Patel’s Gujarati accent, became key elements in Chawla’s portrayal. Advani praised Patel’s strong, decisive persona, saying, “He’s a powerful decision-maker, and that perspective was essential.”
The series brings a unique depth to the interactions among these historical figures, allowing the audience to glimpse the personal bonds they shared. Gupta recalled the natural mentor-mentee dynamic he developed with Vohra, who he affectionately called “Bapu” on set. “You didn’t plan it. It just happened. We looked into each other’s eyes and felt that emotion, almost like a father and son,” he said.
While the original book leans on Lord Mountbatten’s perspective, Advani and his team deliberately chose a different approach. “We didn’t want to give a white man’s point of view to this show at all,” he explained. “We focused on Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Nehru, Jinnah, Liaquat Ali Khan, and Sarojini Naidu, as well as what was unfolding across the Indian subcontinent at the time.”
Advani also highlighted the painstaking efforts in production design to capture the period accurately. “Everything becomes a challenge in a period piece,” he shared. “From costumes to sets to details like typewriters, pens, and lighters.”
Instead of relying on existing locations, the team constructed 86 sets, each transformed to recreate spaces such as Congress offices and courtrooms, ensuring authenticity throughout.
Adding a touch of humour, Advani likened the trio of Gandhi, Nehru, and Patel to the legendary characters of Sholay, saying, “For me, everything is like Sholay. Gandhi is like Thakur, with Nehru and Patel as Jai and Veeru.”
Freedom At Midnight is set to stream on Sony LIV on November 15, 2024
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