Ira Dubey Gets Candid About ‘Freedom at Midnight’

MUMBAI (ANI) – Ira Dubey is eagerly anticipating the release of her upcoming web series, Freedom at Midnight, directed by Nikkhil Advani. Set against the backdrop of India’s independence and partition, the series presents a dramatized account of this historic era. Dubey portrays Fatima Jinnah, the sister of Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Reflecting on her family’s deep connection to India’s independence, she shared how her maternal grandfather, a Railway worker, would recount “harrowing sights of trains arriving in India filled with bodies” during the partition.

“Since childhood, I’ve grown up hearing deeply personal stories from both sides of my family who were directly involved in the freedom struggle. My maternal grandfather, who worked for the Railways, witnessed the tragic scenes of partition, while his brother, a contemporary of Pandit Nehru, devoted himself to the movement and wore khadi as a sign of commitment,” Dubey shared in a press note. She added that on her paternal side, her grandfather was imprisoned twice, and Gandhiji once stayed at her great-grandmother’s home as her family supported the independence cause. “These memories are etched deeply within me and give me a profound sense of responsibility to bring this part of our past to life,” she added.

Freedom at Midnight, based on Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre’s bestselling book of the same name, captures the tumultuous events of India’s struggle for freedom and the aftermath of partition. Through an ensemble cast and vivid storytelling, the series brings to life key figures such as Jawaharlal Nehru (played by Sidhant Gupta), Mahatma Gandhi (Chirag Vohra), Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (Rajendra Chawla), and Muhammad Ali Jinnah (Arif Zakaria). Dubey, as Fatima Jinnah, is joined by other notable actors, including Malishka Mendonsa as Sarojini Naidu, Rajesh Kumar as Liaquat Ali Khan, Luke McGibney as Lord Louis Mountbatten, Cordelia Bugeja as Lady Edwina Mountbatten, Alistair Finlay as Archibald Wavell, and Andrew Cullum as Clement Attlee.

Produced by Emmay Entertainment (Monisha Advani and Madhu Bhojwani) in collaboration with Studio Next, the series explores the political complexities and personal stories that defined this era, while Nikkhil Advani, who serves as showrunner and director, and the writing team—including Abhinandan Gupta, Adwitiya Kareng Das, Gundeep Kaur, Divya Nidhi Sharma, Revanta Sarabhai, and Ethan Taylor—ensure a historically immersive experience. Freedom at Midnight will premiere on Sony LIV on November 15.