Pawan Chopra: Most challenging part was playing Maulana Azad in 'Freedom at Midnight'

Mumbai, Nov 25 Actor Pawan Chopra, who is seen as Maulana Abul Kalam Azad in the historical drama series 'Freedom at Midnight', revealed it was challenging to play the part as there is very little reference material available about the leader.

He said: "The most challenging part was playing Maulana Azad himself. There is very little video footage or reference material available about him. In contrast, there were many powerful scenes featuring Gandhi, Nehru, Mountbatten, and Jinnah.”

"I initially felt that Maulana Azad might get overshadowed by their presence."

The actor revealed that he had to read the script multiple times to uncover what it conveyed about Maulana Azad.

"Through this process, I discovered that his secular views and strong opposition to partition were the consistent themes defining his character. These aspects were subtly written but were central to his ideology," said Pawan.

The actor said that he had to bring out his character and personality to ensure the audience recognised and understood him - not just as someone in a fur cap but as a significant historical figure.

"The consistency with which the character was written made it easy for me to achieve it," he added.

Pawan also shared that they shot for the series for seven months, and he had to stay in the character for those days.

He said, "It was a challenging role because, for seven months, I had to maintain my weight, stay consistent with the language, and constantly think about Maulana Azad to ensure the character came across authentically.”

The actor also revealed that he delved deeply into Maulana Azad's writings, including India Wins Freedom and Ghubar-e-Khatir.

He shared, "Maulana Azad was an Islamic scholar, and Nikkhil (Advani) sir arranged for a coach, Shahnawaz, who guided me in mastering the nuances of pronunciation."

"You can't improvise freely - you must stay true to the character while maintaining their dignity.

"Maulana Azad's contributions to India's independence, though significant, have rarely been depicted on screen. He was the youngest Congress President in 1923 at the age of 35 and served from 1940 to 1946. Yet his role isn't widely talked about," he said.