RJ Malishka, Rajesh Kumar & KC Shankar Latest To Land Key Roles In SonyLIV Political Drama Series ‘Freedom At Midnight’

EXCLUSIVE: RJ Malishka, Rajesh Kumar and KC Shankar are the latest Indian stars to board SonyLIV’s political drama series Freedom at Midnight.

Malishka (aka Malishka Mendonsa) will portray Indian liberation activist Sarojini Naidu, Rajesh Kumar will play Muhammad Ali Jinnah associate and partition negotiations leader Liaquat Ali Khan, and Shankar will be V.P. Menon, a constitutional adviser who played a critical role in integrally princely states into India. Each had a lasting impact on the true-life political landscape, which Freedom at Midnight is exploring.

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Drama series Freedom of Midnight is based on a non-fiction book by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins and billed as an epic political thriller set in 1947, the year of Indian independence and partition. Abhinandan Gupta, Adwitiya Kareng Das and Gundeep Kaur are adapting the text as writers. We first revealed news of the series, billed as SonyLIV’s highest-budget original to date, in June 2022 and it was officially unveiled as part of a recent mega-slate.

Today’s news comes during a spate of casting announcements for the show, which is one of streamer SonyLIV’s biggest bets. Pakistan leader Ali Jinnah is to be played by Arif Zakari, while his sister, Fatima Jinnah, will be portrayed by Ira Dubey (Scoop).

Last week, we reported Cordelia Bugeja, Richard Teverson, Luke McGibney, Andrew Cullum and Alistair Findlay had joined the series as a group of characters who played major roles in the British Empire’s final days in control of India. The country gained independence and was partitioned in 1947.

Speaking about her casting, Malishka said: “I am truly humbled to portray Sarojini Naidu, the Nightingale of India, in Freedom at Midnight. Playing her is a challenge and honour, as my only reference point is what I’ve read about her and the discussions I’ve had about her with our director. I think she was a true representation of the Modern women of India who was not boxed by any limitations.”

Kumar added: “Immersion in Liaquat Ali Khan’s character has been a pivotal moment in my career. Through exhaustive research and detailed study of his life, mannerisms, and political expertise, I aim to authentically portray the nuanced persona of Khan on screen.”

Freedom at Midnight is produced by Monisha Advani and Madhu Bhojwani Emmay Entertainment in association with StudioNext and SonyLIV. Nikkhil Advani serves as showrunner and director. The story is penned by Abhinandan Gupta, Adwitiya Kareng Das, Gundeep Kaur, Divya Nidhi Sharma, Revanta Sarabhai and Ethan Taylor.

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