Nikkhil Advani wears Freedom at Midnight's The Crown comparisons like a 'badge of honour': We had 1/100th the budget

Nikkhil Advani talks to HT about Freedom at Midnight S2, not demonising anyone in the narrative, and comparisons with The Crown.

The first season of Freedom at Midnight did not earn acclaim just in India, but was praised overseas, too. Many international commentators and Indian viewers drew comparisons with Netflix’s iconic show, The Crown, in how the Nikkhil Advani show presented history in the form of engaging drama.

Arif Zakaria as Jinnah and Sidhant Gupta as Nehru in Freedom at Midnight.

Nikkhil Advani on Freedom at Midnight

Nikkhil Advani, himself, welcomes the comparisons, but is also quick to point out that the scale of Freedom at Midnight is much smaller. In an exclusive conversation with HT before the release of the show’s second season, Nikkhil says, “We got 100th the budget (as compared to The Crown). So, if that comparison is there, I'm very proud of it. I'm very grateful to my cinematographer, production designer, editor and producers. I wear it (the comparison) as a badge of honour.”

Nikkhil Advani on the sets of Freedom at Midnight S2.

Freedom at Midnight follows the founding fathers of India and Pakistan from 1945-48 as they navigate the British crown’s departure from the Indian subcontinent and the subsequent Partition. A unique thing about the show is that, despite being patriotic, it hardly uses the ‘us-against-them’ trope, which is quite popular in Indian storytelling these days. When asked if it was difficult to make the show without villainising ‘the others’, Nikkhil says, “I think I would possibly be more popular if I did, because that seems to be the norm today. But I think that it is important to present all points of view, all sides, all facets, and allow you to take that judgment. Some people turn around and say, ‘I was too soft on this, or I was too hard on this, etc.’ But those are calls that I have taken.”

About Freedom at Midnight season 2

Adapted from the book of the same name by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins, Freedom at Midnight tells the story of Indian independence and Partition through the eyes of its founding fathers. The show stars Sidhant Gupta as Jawaharlal Nehru, Chirag Vohra as Mahatma Gandhi, Rajendra Chawla as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Arif Zakaria as Jinnah, Luke McGibney as Lord Mountbatten, Cordelia Bugeja as Edwina Mountbatten, Malishka Mendonsa as Sarojini Naidu, Pawan Chopra as Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Ira Dubey as Fatima Jinnah, Rajesh Kumar as Liaquat Ali Khan, and K.C. Shankar as V.P. Menon. Anurag Thakur and Abhishek Banerjee have joined the cast for season 2, which releases on January 9.