Freedom At Midnight Review: Stunning Take On the Violence Surrounding the Innocents Until Partition

Sony LIV brings a political thriller Freedom At Midnight, that intricately weaves stories of key events and personalities who played instrumental roles in shaping the nation’s history. Based on the novel of the same name, the plot closely follows the tension and events that took place in the year as India moved on to a state of unrest before freedom was finally achieved. The series brings a new look to the tension, the personalities involved, and the situation as a whole.

-No Spoilers-

Freedom At Midnight Review

The plot of the story revolves around the political tension in India before freedom finally came into the hands of the people of the country. Viewers are taken through the face-off between Nehru and Jinha where one is adamant about a united country while the latter wishes for a new country. Meanwhile, the public is burning in flames as riots take over the peace and unity of the country as foreign forces decide the future of the country.

Based on the book that brought forth a series of controversies, we take a look at the involvement of political parties, religious extremists, and the innocents who bore the brunt. This series shows you the atrocities of the partition that gave rise to rivers of blood as people were uprooted to make their way to their designated religious locations.

Coming to the series directed by Nikkhil Advani, I have to begin with the beautiful cinematography that really takes you through emotional turmoil. The scenes are realistic, bloody, and miserable; they are simply striking as you once again understand the cost paid for today’s freedom. The emotions are well captured and the cast has put together a wonderful performance of the roles given to them.

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The colours highlight the tension, the blood-chilling events, and the deep politics that hid behind closed doors. I have to say, the tension is so clearly portrayed that you can feel yourself getting drawn to the show simply for this very aspect. The timing of these moments is perfect, and the background music emphasizes the strong emotions they create. Moreover, the shift from the dramatised version to the real pictures of the time is smooth and captivating. Seeing journalists capture important moments in the series and having that shift to the real images is simply beautiful.

The character too play their role pretty well with the right expressions as we are pulled into the depths of their emotions. The planning, plotting, inner turmoil, anger; and anything you point at will pull you into the scenes presented to you. However, when it comes to the characters themselves, I can see why the book was so controversial. As stated by many critics, the story does feel more fictional than something based on facts.

However, this doesn’t hide the fact that the way the violence of that time is captured is in any way changed. The turmoil the country went through at that time is wonderfully captured, making this a good way to learn about the common people rather than the political game that was being played. The emotions portrayed by actors playing these side roles is simply stunning as you are taken through some of the worst times the country has faced. If you want to know about the events that took place before the partition, and the chaos on which the country found freedom then this is a show to check out.

But if you want to look into the real political game that was being played, then this is not the one. While you may get a glimpse of it, the show is quite biased right from the beginning and makes it seem like a group of corrupt politicians working instead of a group of freedom fighters. The personalities were true freedom fighters but the way they are shown here is as politicians playing mind games to get the bigger gain.

Summing Up

Nikkhil Advani’s method of capturing the violent chaos of the country before freedom was achieved is simply beautiful. However, as the story is based on a book surrounded by controversy, the plot seems more fictional than something based on facts. The cast puts on a wonderful performance, as they pull you into the ongoing tension surrounding them and the country. However, this is something you would watch to know more about the lives of the innocents who were pulled into the biggest mass slaughter in the history of India.

Watch Freedom At Midnight on Sony LIV.

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