Arif Zakaria on portraying Jinnah in Freedom at Midnight, tackling historic roles and upcoming projects

Yes, there’s always a bit of fear and pressure involved. But what helps is that you start by imbibing traits from the written material, and that becomes your foundation. Once you have that you begin to build your character from there. When it comes to someone like Jinnah, or (Jawaharlal) Nehru, or (Mohandas Karamchand) Gandhi, we already have a clear idea of how they looked physically. And thanks to the internet, their voices and speeches are preserved, so you can study those. You can grasp these little nuances—how they spoke, moved, and carried themselves. Technology has made that process easier. Earlier, 20–25 years ago, actors would have to go digging through libraries and archives just to get a glimpse of who these people were. Now, all that information is so accessible, and it becomes part of your preparation.

You take all of that and try to truthfully incorporate it into the script’s context. And then, you just hope people connect with it. With someone like Jinnah, the imagery around him is already so huge. But thankfully, no one has said anything negative—either about the way I portrayed him or about the story itself. That’s been encouraging.

It’s always a bit risky, though, because people come with their own perceptions of real-life figures. For example, Nehru may mean something very personal to you, but that may not be the same for the actor playing him. Gandhi, too, holds deep emotional value for many Indians, but the actor might be working with a completely different brief. So sometimes, there’s a gap between public perception and artistic interpretation.

In Jinnah’s case, he hasn’t been portrayed on screen as much. Aside from the well-known films like Gandhi and, of course, Shyam Benegal’s film on (Bangladesh’s founding father) Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (Mujib: The Making of a Nation), there aren’t too many definitive portrayals—at least, not to my memory. So that helped. There wasn’t a set, preconceived comparison in people’s minds. It gave me the space to offer a fresher take on him.

This season is more intense and gripping and dives deeper into the historical layers of the story. While Season 1 touched on major events like the division of the state, the formation of Pakistan, and the reactions of figures like Gandhi and Nehru, this one goes further into the psychological and emotional complexities behind those moments. It stays true to the essence of the book (penned by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre), which I have mentioned before as the foundation of the series. It really explores the deeper psyche of the characters and the times they lived in. From what I know, most of the characters reach a definitive end—at least that’s how it unfolds in the book.

Yes. I have one last segment left to shoot in Bareilly, which I’ll be wrapping up next month. I’ve always wanted to play a UP don. Being from Bombay, I am usually not cast in those kinds of roles—crude, rough-around-the-edges characters with a slight Hindi accent. So, this opportunity intrigued me. It’s quite different from my usual image, and that contrast is what drew me to it. The story itself is intense and gripping, and the director is excellent. As for the character—it’s a completely evil role. He’s dark, someone who creates a lot of ‘mischief’ in the fictional town.

I think it’s a constant struggle. I wake up every morning asking myself, ‘What can I do to make myself more relevant?’ The pace outside is relentless—reels, short videos, and endless content hitting you every single day. There’s so much out there that the audience’s recall becomes fragmented. So yes, it’s a very real and scary battle.

You get feedback in real time now. As soon as a web show is released, most reels and posts start carrying reviews. That’s the stark reality of digital technology. And while it has its advantages, it’s also quite intense. I am honestly amused by all of it, but at the same time, you can’t deny it, and you definitely can’t fight it. You have to find your space within it, accept what’s written, try to understand it, and stay content. Don’t gloat too much over praise, because the next scroll could easily bring criticism. That’s the nature of the game now.

I think the role really has to appeal to you, that's central. That’s how I’ve always approached work, even back when I was doing television. If the role speaks to me, I take it on. Sometimes it’s also about the personality and vision of the director. Even if it’s not a central part, I might still do it, provided the person making it is sincere, has their head in the right place, and the project overall feels solid. I don’t believe in isolating myself to say, “Only if my role is larger than the film will I commit to it.” That’s not how it works.

Now, in terms of the most challenging role I’ve done—my debut film, Darmiyaan, with Kalpana Lajmi, was definitely very challenging. Then, I worked with Pamela Rooks on Dance Like a Man alongside Shobhana—that too was quite demanding and deeply gratifying.

Another one was Nanak Shah Fakir. Unfortunately, it didn’t get a wide commercial release, but I truly consider it one of my best works. Jinnah, too, is right up there for me—mainly because of the process, the writing, and the way Nikkhil Advani shot it. I really connected with that role.

Then I did Haunted with Vikram Bhatt, which was my first foray into horror. And that’s when I realised just how popular the horror genre really is. It was a new experience for me. There’s also Raazi, which I did with Meghna Gulzar. All these characters were so well-established, and the directors took great care in presenting them. So, there’s a strong sense of satisfaction with all of them.

I think Bollywood is remaking a lot of South Indian cinema anyway. The stylisation, the characterisation, even the whole style of the hero and how scenes are shot—it’s mostly copied from Tamil and Telugu cinema, and to some extent Bengali as well. I will be right there if someone offers me a role in the South.

I think as I’ve grown older, my perspective has evolved. I used to say theatre was great, but honestly, no platform is better or worse—it’s just that films have a longer shelf life. People remember film actors more. If I ask you who your favorite actor is, you’re likely to name a movie actor, not a theatre actor, or a TV soap actor, or even an OTT actor. Films create that larger-than-life image. Cinema makes your work reach far and wide, and it often gets more appreciation. For me, films are the medium that really connects with people. I'm blessed, in fact; I could work so much, on all different platforms, and I'm still doing so.

Emotionally, when I think of Guru Dutt, it’s more about the melancholy that comes through his work than Guru Dutt himself. He made two or three very powerful films, like Pyaasa and Kaagaz Ke Phool, which carry a deep sense of melancholy and take you to a very different emotional place when you watch them.

He was truly unique in that sense, especially considering the times he worked in. It must have been very challenging for him to make films that were somewhat non-commercial at their core. But the way he visualised those stories was outstanding.

I also thought he was a brilliant actor, though often underrated. Watching him on screen was very easy on the eyes—he had a certain Indian charm as an actor that I really appreciated. His presence was very effortless and natural.

I think Pyaasa. An all-time classic. Right, right. And Mr. & Mrs. 55 also—it's good; it was funny.

I am working on a few projects right now. One of them is Faraar with Nawazuddin Siddiqui. I believe it’s slated for release this year. Then there’s The Diary, which we shot about two years ago. Similarly, I worked on Amaarg. I play a psychologically imbalanced character in that one. It was a small project with barely any budget, but the director was really passionate about the subject. I had done Ahaan, which features a character with Down syndrome. Again, the budget was low, but the vision was powerful, so I took it up. There’s also Heer Zara Aur Pondicherry. That was filmed in Pondicherry. It’s a sweet, emotional road trip movie. I am not sure when it will be released, but hopefully, it’ll find a platform soon.