Rajendra Chawla, who plays Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in Sony LIV’s Freedom at Midnight, shares his thoughts on the significance of portraying India’s iconic leader. Rajendra believes that our history is more than just a series of events – it’s a legacy we owe to future generations.
He shared, “The way parents pass down family stories to their children, we need to share the story of our nation’s birth with the next generation. Our freedom wasn’t won easily. Our leaders sacrificed their personal lives and comforts to ensure that one day, the future of this country could breathe freely.”
For Rajendra, playing Patel has been a deeply personal experience. He feels that Freedom at Midnight isn’t just about recounting dates and facts, but about the real struggles and triumphs behind India’s independence. He said, “As we celebrate Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s 149th birth anniversary, it’s an honor portraying him and taking a journey back to our roots. Learning about the challenges he faced—like uniting 565 princely states—has given me a deeper respect for the resilience, unity, and vision that shaped our nation. Knowing where we come from and honoring those stories gives us strength. History is more than the past; it’s the foundation of our unity and the bond that holds us together even today.”
Based on the acclaimed book by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre, Freedom at Midnight is an epic political thriller/drama that vividly brings to life pivotal moments from the year of India’s independence and its partition through the lens of influential historical personalities. It promises an immersive dive into one of India’s most pivotal eras—the struggle for independence and the subsequent partition.
Produced by Emmay Entertainment (Monisha Advani & Madhu Bhojwani) in association with StudioNext, the show is helmed by Nikkhil Advani as the showrunner and director, with a compelling narrative crafted by Abhinandan Gupta, Adwitiya Kareng Das, Gundeep Kaur, Divya Nidhi Sharma, Revanta Sarabhai, and Ethan Taylor. The series features a stellar cast, including Sidhant Gupta, Chirag Vohra, Rajendra Chawla, Arif Zakaria, Ira Dubey, Malishka Mendonsa, Rajesh Kumar, KC Shankar, Luke McGibney, Cordelia Bugeja, Alistair Finlay, Andrew Cullum, Richard Teverson in pivotal roles.
Freedom at Midnight streaming from this November exclusively on Sony LIV!
