Can Freedom at Midnight 2 stand out amid Dhurandhar and Ikkis releases? Director Nikkhil Advani speaks
Freedom at Midnight 2 is set to release on SonyLIV (OTTplay Premium) on January 9, 2026. Director Nikkhil Advani said he was unaware that Dhurandhar and Ikkis would release around the same time.
Last Updated: 07.09 PM, Jan 06, 2026
After the phenomenal success of Freedom at Midnight, it has been renewed for Season 2. Freedom at Midnight 2 is set to premiere on January 9, 2026, on SonyLIV (OTTplay Premium). In a new interview, director Nikkhil Advani said that he did not expect Dhurandhar and Ikkis to be released at the same time as his Freedom at Midnight 2 and added, "It's not something we planned when we started four years ago."
Will Freedom at Midnight 2 get affected by Dhurandhar and Ikkis?
While Dhurandhar and Ikkis highlight the tensions between India and Pakistan, Freedom at Midnight 2 will focus on the Partition story of India, Pakistan and the violence across borders, as well as the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. Speaking to NDTV, director Nikkhil Advani shared that he was unaware that Dhurandhar and Ikkis would release same time around Freedom at Midnight 2.
He said, "I didn't know Dhurandhar and Ikkis were going to release the same time around as Freedom At Midnight 2. It's not something we planned when we started four years ago... I haven't seen Dhurandhar and I want to see Ikkis."
For the director, Freedom At Midnight’s success lies in its ability to take viewers back to a bygone era. Nikkhil said that it was important for him to immerse the audience in the world of the series and make them forget their current reality. He further added that if he failed to do so, it would be a colossal failure. According to him, the way the show was filmed, the dialogue, the acting, or the unfolding of the story, everything was necessary to transport the audience into that world.
"For me, it is about how I take the audience who's watching this show and the story that I'm telling into that time where a lot of these people who we revered as demigods and gods, were confused and lost. They were dealing with problems they had never imagined. The amount of violence that was happening on both the sides of the border was incredible," he added.
Did Nikkhil Advani want to release Freedom at Midnight 2 in 2025?
He noted that platforms suggest delaying the second season of a successful show so that viewers can continue to rewatch the first season. He said that he would have been very happy if the second season had come out on August 15, 2025, October 2, 2025, or any other date that they associate with 'patriotism'.
"We were ready to finish the post-production. But I think the decision to bring it on January 9 is a question you need to ask Danish Khan and Saugata Mukherjee (at Sony LIV)" he said.
Who are the actors in Freedom at Midnight 2?
Freedom at Midnight Season 2 continues the historical drama, delving into the turbulent months following India's independence in 1947, focusing on the aftermath of Partition, the refugee crisis, and the unification of the native states.
It stars Sidhant Gupta, Chirag Vohra, Rajendra Chawla, Arif Zakaria, Ira Dubey, Malishka Mendonsa, Rajesh Kumar, KC Shankar, Luke McGibney, Cordelia Bugeja, Alistair Finlay, Andrew Cullum, and Richard Teverson in prominent roles.
Freedom at Midnight FAQs:
Q: When is Freedom at Midnight Season 2 coming out?
A: Freedom at Midnight Season 2 is scheduled to premiere on January 9, 2026, exclusively on Sony LIV. You can also watch the series with your OTTplay Premium subscription.
Q: Is Freedom at Midnight based on a true story?
A: Freedom at Midnight, adapted from Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins’ 1975 non-fiction book, faithfully portrays the historical events surrounding India’s independence and the 1947 Partition.
Q: Who is in the cast of Freedom at Midnight Season 2?
A: The core cast returns for Freedom at Midnight Season 2, featuring Sidhant Gupta as Jawaharlal Nehru, Chirag Vohra as Mahatma Gandhi, Rajendra Chawla as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Arif Zakaria as Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and Ira Dubey as Fatima Jinnah.