'Freedom at Midnight': Arif Zakaria treated Jinnah as 'anti-hero'
Arif Zakaria, who recently played Muhammad Ali Jinnah in SonyLIV's Freedom at Midnight, has said he hasn't received any "polarizing" feedback for his character. Speaking to Hindustan Times, he opened up about playing such a difficult character and how he went about it. Despite the historical importance and controversy Jinnah's character could bring, Zakaria said he didn't feel apprehensive about taking up this role.
Zakaria's approach to playing Jinnah in 'Freedom at Midnight'
Zakaria said, "I treated him like an antagonist or anti-hero and worked within the confines of the script." He added, "I stripped down the reputation and approached the character as a lawyer from Mumbai—a man who followed a certain ideology...and had a strong sense of self-belief." "It's a challenging role—and as actors, we always talk about embracing challenges. So when such a challenge comes along, why shy away? I didn't attach any political flavor to it."
Zakaria's journey and preparation for the role
Zakaria was approached by filmmaker Nikkhil Advani two years ago for the role. He recalled, "I had heard of the book Freedom at Midnight. It's a big novel, very popular, and well-known." To prepare for his role as Jinnah, Zakaria underwent extensive workshops and readings over a period of 9-10 months before shooting began. He even learned how to smoke to better portray his character on screen.
Zakaria's stance on potential controversies and historical narratives
When asked if he anticipates any controversies around the show or his character, Zakaria said, "Not at all. We live in very vague times—anything can become controversial." "You have to stick to what you believe is true. In this case, the writing was very strong, and the show is based on an award-winning book." "As an actor, you have to remain pure to the material. If you get caught up in these concerns, you can't do justice to the work."
Zakaria's views on the rise of history-based web shows
Zakaria also shared his thoughts on the growing popularity of history-based web shows on OTT platforms. He believes that these platforms allow for a deeper exploration of characters and themes because of their long-format nature. He said, "India has so many untold stories—heroes, survivors, revolutionaries—from every corner of the country. OTT platforms offer the space to explore these stories in depth which theatrical releases often cannot accommodate."
