As Freedom at Midnight prepares to wrap up its journey with Season 2, creator Nikkhil Advani has firmly stood by one of the show’s most debated creative choices — the portrayal of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, played by Arif Zakaria.
While Indian audiences widely praised Zakaria’s nuanced performance as Pakistan’s founder, criticism emerged from across the border, where some viewers argued that Jinnah was shown as too “elitist” and “snobbish.” Advani, however, isn’t backing down.
“That Criticism Is a Joke,” Says Nikkhil Advani
Speaking to HT ahead of the new season’s release, Advani addressed the backlash head-on. He explained that the series deliberately depicts Jinnah as a polished, elite figure because that is historically accurate.
According to Advani, Jinnah was a South Bombay aristocrat — a whiskey-drinking, sausage-eating, English-speaking lawyer who took pride in his Malabar Hill lifestyle. He added that Jinnah’s embrace of religion came much later, driven largely by political ambition and the path toward becoming Quaid-e-Azam.
Advani stressed that portraying Jinnah otherwise would have been dishonest to history.
Why Arif Zakaria Was the Perfect Choice
Advani also revealed that casting Arif Zakaria made the characterization easier. Since Zakaria himself grew up in South Bombay, he naturally understood the subtle class markers, body language, and social nuances Advani wanted to bring to the role.
That lived familiarity, Advani said, helped shape a version of Jinnah that felt grounded rather than caricatured — even if it made some viewers uncomfortable.
What Freedom at Midnight Is About
Based on the celebrated book Freedom at Midnight by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins, the SonyLIV series chronicles India’s independence and the traumatic Partition through the perspectives of key historical figures.
Season 1 was widely praised for its scale, performances, and attention to historical detail, setting high expectations for its concluding chapter.
Season 2 Cast and Release Details
The series features an ensemble cast portraying pivotal leaders of the era, including:
- Jawaharlal Nehru (played by Sidhant Gupta)
- Mahatma Gandhi (Chirag Vohra)
- Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (Rajendra Chawla)
- Lord Mountbatten (Luke McGibney)
- Edwina Mountbatten (Cordelia Bugeja)
- Sarojini Naidu (Malishka Mendonsa)
Season 2 also introduces Abhishek Banerjee and Anurag Thakur in key roles.
Freedom at Midnight Season 2 premieres on SonyLIV on January 9, bringing the ambitious historical drama to its conclusion.
Final Words
With Freedom at Midnight, Nikkhil Advani has clearly chosen authenticity over comfort. As Season 2 arrives, the debate around Jinnah’s portrayal only reinforces how powerful — and polarising — historical storytelling can be when it refuses to soften inconvenient truths.
News Source: Hindustan Times
