Filmmaker Nikkhil Advani is coming up with the second season of his critically-acclaimed period drama series Freedom At Midnight at a time when the Indian entertainment space, prominently Bollywood, has seen the release of two of the most diametrically opposite patriotic films: Dhurandhar and Ikkis.
Based on the book of the same name by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre, Freedom At Midnight 2 -- which has Nikkhil Advani triple up as creator, director, and co-producer -- will stream on Sony LIV on January 9. The second season explores the Partition story of India, its product, Pakistan and the violence across borders, as well as the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.
Much like Dhurandhar and Ikkis, Freedom At Midnight 2 also has a few things to say about Pakistan. The timing of the series, the showrunner said, was unplanned.
Asked about releasing the series when Bollywood has two important films like Dhurandhar and Ikkis in theatres, Nikkhil Advani told NDTV in an exclusive interview, "I didn't know Dhurandhar and Ikkis were going to release the same time around as Freedom At Midnight 2. It's not something we planned when we started four years ago... I haven't seen Dhurandhar and I want to see Ikkis."
Would he want to watch Dhurandhar too or would he just be happy watching Ikkis?
The creator-director said, "I want to watch football, Man City is finally doing well. Last year, I was a little depressed but finally I feel like they'll reach somewhere... We are very lucky that we are doing so much work in entertainment... I believe Dhurandhar is coming on TV, I'll watch it when it comes on TV."
Nikkhil Advani, also known for films such as Kal Ho Naa Ho, D-Day, Batla House, and Vedaa, said he has heard great things about Dhurandhar.
"I believe it (Dhurandhar) is doing very well and a lot of people have enjoyed the film. I think Aditya Dhar is a strong filmmaker and a strong voice."
When it comes to Freedom At Midnight, the director said the success of the series for him would be if he would be able to transport the audience to a gone-by era.
"It's important for me to be able to bring the viewer into the world and make them forget the world they are living in right now... If I'm not able to do that and take you there, then there is colossal failure. Whether the way we shot the show, the dialogues, the performances or the story is unfolding, it needs to transport you into that world..." he said.
In the interview, Nikkhil Advani also told NDTV that he wanted to humanise towering political figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who have been accorded the status of demigods in Indian politics just by the virtue of the great and grave decisions they took at the time.
"Retrospection is a very powerful tool. Eighty years later, you can turn around and say, 'They got it wrong'. They didn't know Jinnah was dying. They had 13 months to Independence and in a matter of 10 days, Mountbatten made it into five weeks.
"For me, it is about how I take the audience who's watching this show and the story that I'm telling into that time where a lot of these people who we revered as demigods and gods, were confused and lost. They were dealing with problems they had never imagined. The amount of violence that was happening on both the sides of the border was incredible," he added.
Many battles and wars were fought on ground and behind closed doors during India's freedom struggle. While war could be necessary evil, it must be the last resort.
It's a fallacy that war can bring peace, it just brings about death, said Nikkhil Advani.
"There are some incredible conversations that when people watch Freedom At Midnight, I hope they will think about it. I hope they will understand that there were very great men who took the decisions they took, whether it was to start a war or to end war...
"The Kashmir episode for many of us is the best episode of both the seasons. It's pretty relevant given the fact that every once in a while we have to deal with (the outcome) of the decisions that were taken years ago in Kashmir."
The second season of Freedom At Midnight is coming over a year after the first chapter streamed on OTT. Why the wait? The director said the question is best posed to Sony LIV top brass.
"I'm told by the platforms that if a show does well then don't let the second season come very soon, so that people can keep watching the first season over and over again.
"I would have been very happy if the second season would have come out on August 15, 2025, October 2, 2025, or any other date that we associate with 'patriotism'. We were ready to finish the post-production. But I think the decision to bring it on January 9 is a question you need to ask Danish Khan and Saugata Mukherjee (at Sony LIV)" he said.
Freedom At Midnight 2 stars Sidhant Gupta, Chirag Vohra, Rajendra Chawla, Arif Zakaria, Ira Dubey, Malishka Mendonsa, Rajesh Kumar, KC Shankar, Luke McGibney, Cordelia Bugeja, Alistair Finlay, Andrew Cullum, and Richard Teverson in prominent roles. It is produced by Emmay Entertainment (Monisha Advani & Madhu Bhojwani) in association with StudioNext.
Also Read | 'Pakistan Not To Be Trusted': Ikkis Disclaimer Goes Viral After Dhurandhar Comparisons
