Blending desi and videsi

Luke McGibney as Lord Louis Mountbatten, Cordelia Bugeja as Edwina Mountbatten

Driven to tell his stories authentically, Nikkhil Advani has always gone the extra mile. He went through extensive research and minute detailing for the show, Rocket Boys, which focused on Homi Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai. For his upcoming Sony LIV series on Indian Independence, Freedom at Midnight, which is based on Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins' acclaimed book of the same name, the director-showrunner roped in Sidhant Gupta, Chirag Vohra, and Rajendra Chawla as Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, respectively. With the Indian luminaries of our freedom movement locked in, the filmmaker next trained his focus on getting the international cast right.

A source close to the series said, "Nikkhil wanted to build out two parties to Indian Independence with utmost authenticity - the Indian leaders involved in the discussion and the colonial people in power at the time." Advani roped in Luke McGibney to embody the role of the last viceroy of India, Lord Louis Mountbatten, and Cordelia Bugeja as Lady Edwina Mountbatten. Alistair Finlay of Outlander (2022) fame essays Archibald Wavell, the Commander-in-Chief and Viceroy of India preceding Mountbatten. Andrew Cullum, who was seen in The Crown (2016), brings to life the character of Clement Attlee, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951, while Richard Teverson, seen in Downton Abbey (2010), portrays Cyril Radcliffe, the chairman of the Boundary Commission for the Partition of India.

The source reveals that the international actors were roped in for the resemblance they bear with the colonial leaders. "Not just the storyline, but the actors had to look similar to the character they were playing. For example, you can find an eerie similarity between Luke and his character Lord Mountbatten, and Teverson and his character Cyril Radcliffe. All the actors flew in from the UK for the long schedule in India," explained the source, adding that it was an experience for the international cast to adjust to the Indian climatic conditions.

Freedom at Midnight dives into India's struggle for Independence and the subsequent Partition. From the early calls for self-rule to the triumphant moment of Independence in 1947, the series delves into the motivations, conflicts, and sacrifices of key figures like Gandhi, Nehru, and Patel.