Freedom at Midnight: Ira Dubey admits she is fascinated by Muhammad Ali Jinnah - 'I am always interested in...' | Exclusive
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Ira Dubey is looking forward to the release of her upcoming web series, Freedom at Midnight. Directed by Nikkhil Advani, the web show is set around the events that took place around India's independence and partition. In the historical drama, Ira essays the character of Fatima Jinnah, the younger sister of the late politician Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Before Freedom at Midnight's release, OTTplay interviewed Ira, who spoke about the series, Muhammad Ali Jinnah and essaying Fatima's role.
Ira Dubey talks about Freedom at Midnight, Muhammad Ali Jinnah & more
In an exclusive conversation with OTTplay, Ira Dubey revealed she has been fascinated by Muhammad Ali Jinnah. "I have had a long fascination with my brother (reference to characters in the show) Jinnah since 2017 when I read a book called Mr and Mrs Jinnah and I wanted to make it into a show. That was a love story between him and his wife. I was very taken up with this man and I still am. I am fascinated by him," shared Ira.
The actress further mentioned, "I am always interested in the underdogs, the villains, those who are vilified and misunderstood, especially in history. It's because history is told from very specific narratives, perspectives, and lenses — it is never black and white."
Ira added that the late politician has always been an interesting character and figure for her. The actress recalled she had met Nikkhil Advani in 2017 regarding the project she wanted to make. "Later when he called me back in 2022 to play his (Muhammad Ali Jinnah) sister, I felt it was meant to be at some level. It was a no-brainer for me," added Dubey.
Ira Dubey on playing Fatima Jinnah
Continuing the conversation, Ira opened up about playing Fatima Jinnah's character in Freedom at Midnight. "I have a pet peeve that women generally — our storytelling narrative has changed in the last 10 to 15 years and now it has become woke and trendy to tell female stories — but in general, in history, we have been sidelined. Our contributions, roles, beliefs, intelligence, passion, and political ideals have been sidelined. Fatima, for me, has been an intriguing character in that sense," said Ira.
The actress highlighted who Fatima Jinnah was in the period shown in Nikkhil's series. "In this period, in 2 years, you meet them (all characters) in a very specific time of their lives. For her (Fatima), the equation with her brother (Muhammad), who was going through what he was at a crucial point in his life and an equally burning desire for Pakistan, that's who she was during this time, in this story. And that, for me, was delicious to get into the skin (of the character)," she mentioned and signed off.
The series will drop on November 15 on SonyLIV and OTTplay Premium.
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