Arif Zakaria on playing Jinnah in Freedom at Midnight: Didn’t attach any political flavour to it

Arif Zakaria’s performance as Jinnah in Freedom at Midnight seems to have been well received, with many appreciating the nuanced approach to the character.

Arif Zakaria, who plays Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistan’s first governor-general, in the recently released web show Freedom at Midnight, has faced little in the way of polarising feedback about his portrayal of the controversial figure. While historical characters like Jinnah often spark intense debate, Arif Zakaria’s performance seems to have been well received, with many appreciating the nuanced approach to the character.

“Personally, I haven’t received any polarising feedback,” the actor shares, adding, “The show has been well appreciated. Of course, people may have differing opinions, but I haven’t seen any extreme reactions so far. It’s natural for audiences to like or dislike parts of a story, but that’s true for any work—not just historical adaptations.”

Ask him if he was apprehensive about taking up a character that is unpopular in this part of the world and the actor promptly says “not really”. He explains, “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. I treated him like an antagonist or anti-hero and worked within the confines of the script. The burden of history on this character makes people view it differently. But I consciously didn’t carry that weight. I stuck to what the script demanded and played the character accordingly.”

The 58-year-old further says, “I stripped down the reputation and approached the character as a lawyer from Mumbai—a man who followed a certain ideology, believed in what he thought was right, and had a strong sense of self-belief. For him, his right was right. He was educated, had a sister, and espoused a theory he firmly believed in until the end.”

Zakaria says he doesn’t feel daunted by the characters historical weight. “If tomorrow I get a chance to play someone like Bhimrao Ambedkar or any other historical figure, I would take it as another opportunity to perform to the best of my abilities,” says the actor, who has previously played Pakistan General Riaz Ahmed in Shoorveer (2022) and former Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1962: The War in the Hills (2021).

Ask him if he was apprehensive about taking up a character that is unpopular in this part of the world and the actor promptly says “not really”. He explains, “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. I treated him like an antagonist or anti-hero and worked within the confines of the script. The burden of history on this character makes people view it differently. But I consciously didn’t carry that weight. I stuck to what the script demanded and played the character accordingly.”

The 58-year-old further says, “I stripped down the reputation and approached the character as a lawyer from Mumbai—a man who followed a certain ideology, believed in what he thought was right, and had a strong sense of self-belief. For him, his right was right. He was educated, had a sister, and espoused a theory he firmly believed in until the end.”

Zakaria says he doesn’t feel daunted by the characters historical weight. “If tomorrow I get a chance to play someone like Bhimrao Ambedkar or any other historical figure, I would take it as another opportunity to perform to the best of my abilities,” says the actor, who has previously played Pakistan General Riaz Ahmed in Shoorveer (2022) and former Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1962: The War in the Hills (2021).

Zakaria’s journey into the project began two years ago when he received a call from filmmaker Nikkhil Advani while he was abroad. “I had heard of the book Freedom at Midnight. It’s a big novel, very popular, and well-known,” he recalls. “I landed back in Mumbai and went to meet him (Advani). In the first meeting, he simply told me, ‘I want you to play this part. You look the part, and I think it would be good for the project’,” he further says, adding, “He had me read just one scene, which happens to be in Episode 2—the consultation scene with Nehru’s character. Getting on board was as simple as that.”

On if he drew inspiration from other actors who’ve played Jinnah on screen, Zakaria says he’s not seen any major performances. Sharing how he prepped to bring Jinnah to life on screen, he reveals, “There were extensive workshops and readings, and I even learnt how to smoke. That went on for about 9 to 10 months before we actually began shooting,” adding, “My approach was largely based on the material I had at hand—the script, historical research, and, of course, Jinnah’s tonality and presence, which can now be easily studied on YouTube. I worked on his voice and mannerisms while staying present and spontaneous during the shoot.”

But given the current political scenario in the country was he anxious about controversies erupting surrounding the show or the character? “Not at all. We live in very vague times—anything can become controversial. I could do a scene with a man and a woman, and addressing the woman in a certain way might spark controversy. You have to stick to what you believe is true,” Zakaria says, adding, “In this case, the writing was very strong, and the show is based on an award-winning book. Freedom at Midnight is a celebrated novel written by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre, first published in the late 1970s. The book has been popular for decades, so we adapted it faithfully. 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.”

He adds, “As an artist, you can’t please everybody. At the end of the day, everyone has their own opinions. People who try to please everyone might end up sacrificing something. You have to be true to the material. The best way to please anyone, whether personally, professionally, or artistically, is to stick to what’s true and honest. Don’t play to the gallery, or just try to appeal to others’ expectations. Just make something truthful and correct. If something is untrue, it will be discovered eventually. People are smart, especially with social media these days. If you do the right thing, the rest will follow.”

Zakaria further says that history is always open to interpretation, and no matter how much research one does, there will always be voices and perspectives on it. “I think it’s great that everyone has access to these debates now…But as an audience, we want you to feel as if you’re sitting across the boardroom, watching these historical figures make their decisions. Whether they were right or wrong is subjective—it’s your perspective. We’re not trying to alter that. You may come in with a certain set notion, and that’s fine, but we’ll show you the circumstances, pressures, and reasons behind their actions,” he says.

During the conversation, Zakaria also weighed in on the rise of history-based webs shows on OTT platforms. He believes historical stories are finding greater success on OTT because they allow for deeper exploration of characters and themes. “The long-format nature of OTT platforms allows stories to unfold over time. You can play with subjects, formats, and genres without being bogged down by commercial trappings. Characters are better defined, and there’s more room for exploration.”

He credits this format for making historical narratives more accessible and engaging. “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,” he wraps up.

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#ShameOnMTVHUSTLE trends after MTV allegedly shuts down comedian’s YouTube channel over a joke about show

It all started when Rohan Cariappa took to Instagram to share that his YouTube channel was getting shut. The trend emerged on the surface on Monday.

The makers of the music reality show MTV Hustle have found themself in soup with #ShameOnMTVHUSTLE trending on social media. It comes after claims that the channel is putting its force behind shutting down a YouTube channel of a comedian after a joke on the show. Also read: Rapper King says Indians only criticise desi artists: ‘Ghar ki murgi daal barabar…’

Hitting a rough note
The #ShameOnMTVHUSTLE trend surfaced on Monday with several users coming together to support comedian Rohan Cariappa. It all started when Rohan took to his Instagram Stories to claim that his YouTube channel was getting shut.

“50 plus strikes,” he wrote in one story along with a screen recording of the strikes on his videos about the show. In another story, he wrote, “The channel shuts down on the 7th … Killswitch aur Danish ke baad mera bhi elimination ho raha hai (I have been eliminated after Killswitch and Danish).” Danish and Killswitch were contestants of the show.

It is being said that Rohan criticised the show through his videos.

Outrage on social media
After his posts on Instagram, a controversy erupted on social media, with the hashtag #ShameOnMTVHUSTLE gaining momentum. The outrage stemmed from allegations that MTV shut down the YouTube channel of a comedian over a joke made about the show.

Fans and supporters of the comedian have taken to social media to express their discontent, with many calling out MTV for its alleged actions.

“MTV has given more than 50 strikes to Rohan Cariappa’s YouTube channel and his channel is being terminated – just because the makers couldn’t handle some honest criticism! Shame on MTV,” read one tweet, with another writing, “MTV Hustle tried to take down Rohan Cariappa’s YouTube channel. These companies profit from the culture and then start thinking of themselves as superior. Rohan’s contribution to the Desi Hip-Hop is far greater than that of these money makers”.

One user wrote, “Whole dhh community stands with @cariappa_rohan We won’t let that fake show destroy Dhh #shameonmtvhustle”.

One user mentioned, “MTV Hustle is playing cheap games now. They’ve started sending bots. You run a hip-hop show, but you’re doing things that go against the spirit of hip-hop. This will not be tolerated”, with one user mentioning, “@cariappa_rohan’s videos ASAP! #ShameonMTVHustle This is so sad #ShameonMTVHustle They don’t even know how much his channel has contributed to the hip-hop scene in India”.

There was one comment which condemned the gesture of silencing the “criticism by undermining them will only result in more harm for your show”. “The DHH community deserves better, @cariappa_rohan you deserve better. Silent protest,” read the tweet.

“Stupid of these @MTVIndia pple to think they could just suppress anyone says something & they think they can capture the DHH audience this way? Shameful and stupid act,” shared one user.

Another user called out the channel, writing, “I’m a regular Jio cinema/MTV hustle subscriber and viewer, but after seeing them pulling this shit to a content creator I have decided to cancel my subscription, they have proven that they are culture vultures who are only here for profits. MTV Hustle gave a copyright strikes on @cariappa_rohan,This is unacceptable, shameful and against the DHH community”.

About MTV Hustle
MTV Hustle is a reality show focused on Indian rap and hip-hop. In the show, rappers battle it out to win the title. The rap reality show Hustle is back with its 4th season on MTV. Recently, Badshah joined Raftaar and Ikka in an episode as a special guest. Badshah has previously been a judge on Hustle seasons 2 and 3.

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Utpanna Ekadashi 2024: Know date, time, significance, rituals, mantras to chant

Utpanna Ekadashi 2024: From puja vidhi to significance, here’s all that you need to know about this auspicious day

Utpanna Ekadashi 2024: There are 24 Ekadashis observed throughout the year with each Ekadashi having specific significance in Hinduism. It is believed that observing Ekadashi fast can make Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi happy, and bless the devotees with wealth, longevity and prosperity. Utpanna Ekadashi marks the start of the Ekadashi fasting tradition and is observed with a lot of dedication and devotion. Also read | Ekadashi 2024 full list: Complete list of Ekadashi fasting days for the year

Utpanna Ekadashi 2024: date and time
Utpanna Ekadashi is observed during the Krishna Paksha of the Margashirsha month, and is observed after Devutthana Ekadashi. According to Drik Panchang, Utpanna Ekadashi will be observed on November 26 this year. The Ekadashi Tithi will begin at 1:01 AM on November 26 and will end at 3:47 AM on November 27. Also read | Dev Uthani Ekadashi 2024: Date, shubh muhurat, puja and vrat time, significance, rituals

Utpanna Ekadashi 2024: significance
According to legends, it is believed that Lord Vishnu was in deep meditation when demon Mura came to attack him. At that time, Goddess Ekadashi emerged and vanquished demon Mura and saved Lord Vishnu. Since then, Goddess Ekadashi is worshipped for her valour and bravery. Observing Utpanna Ekadashi fast can bring prosperity and wealth in the lives of the devotees.

Performing charity on this day helps in getting rid of the sins of this life and attain salvation. Observing the Utpanna Ekadashi fast and performing the rituals can bring inner peace and happiness in the hearts of the devotees. Also read | Rama Ekadashi 2024: Correct date is October 28; know Rama Ekadashi vrat rituals, auspicious time, significance

Utpanna Ekadashi 2024: rituals
On this day, devotees wake up early and take a holy bath. Then yellow sweets are prepared as yellow is believed to be Lord Vishnu’s favourite colour. Goddess Lakshmi is also worshipped on this day. It is believed that watering the peepul tree on the auspicious occasion of Utpanna Ekadashi has spiritual significance.

Utpanna Ekadashi 2024: mantras to chant
On Utpanna Ekadashi, Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya and Ekadashi Vrat Katha are chanted to please Lord vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi.

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