Everything about the casting of the historical drama

It is a well-known fact that Freedom at midnightthe SonyLIV series, will premiere soon, much to the delight of fans. India's independence in 1947 serves as the backdrop for the Nikkhil Advani series. Interestingly, Hansal Mehta is also directing a Gandhi series set in the same period. Casting a historical drama becomes even more difficult when the show's schedule clashes with another production set in the same period.

Casting director Kavish Sinha is looking for the perfect ensemble

According to Mid Day, casting director Kavish Sinha spent months scouring a wall full of faces to find suitable actors to portray historical figures from India’s freedom struggle in Advani’s Freedom at midnightSidhant Gupta plays Jawaharlal Nehru, Chirag Vohra plays Mahatma Gandhi and Rajendra Chawla as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel are among the ensemble members introduced to fans in the last few weeks.

Sinha says narrowing down the cast for the adaptation of Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins' critically acclaimed novel was a big challenge, but having an understanding collaborator like Advani made things easier.

Sinha told the tabloid that Advani was very clear about his wishes. The class had assigned the book to read, which was a helpful idea. Casting Rocket BoysThe selection of protagonists was easier because they were scientists about whom the general public knows less. However, Sarojini Naidu, Nehru, Gandhi and Sardar Patel are mentioned frequently. He confidently states that after watching their videos, they could not have done anything wrong.

Balancing similarity and language for historical accuracy

After the similarity, the second difficulty was language. They had to select actors who spoke classical English and explain that the leads studied in England or Allahabad. There was also a 120-day shooting schedule. They also had to sit for hours to get their hair and prosthetics done.

Sinha gives the creator and director a lot of credit for having complete faith in him. Whenever he mentioned that something wasn't working, Advani listened to him. They judged each actor on the basis of three or four sequences. The actors' desire to be involved in historical endeavours helped. Nehru and Patel were the roles everyone wanted to play.

At the same time, Mehta is producing a web series on the life and legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, and Pratik Gandhi will be playing the role of the iconic leader. This must have made the portrayal of Gandhi even more intimidating.

Chirag Vohra's casting as Gandhi and the role of Sarojini Naidu

Sinha reflected on his ambitions and declared that he wanted a shaven-headed Gujarati actor. Everyone went straight to Chirag Vohra. Advani informed them that it was an obvious choice. Malishka Mendonsa's arrival interrupted another audition. The moment he laid eyes on her, he recognised her as their Sarojini.