Ahead of the release of Nikkhil Advani’s historical drama series Freedom at Midnight, director Vivek Agnihotri took to social media to criticize Advani's approach to depicting India’s Partition. Agnihotri, known for his bold and often controversial opinions, reacted strongly to an interview where Advani mentioned that the riot sequences in the series are shown in black and white to avoid religious connotations.

Agnihotri posted on platform X, urging Advani to "have the courage" to clearly portray the perpetrators and victims in the violent events of Partition. He questioned why Advani appeared to be “whitewashing” history, adding that Hindu communities had never asked Muslims to leave India during Partition. Agnihotri went on to call the events a “Hindu genocide,” stating that the violence had a distinct religious character.

He further expressed frustration with filmmakers who, in his view, compromise historical accuracy for artistic neutrality. “If you’re going to depict the violent, communal history of India’s Partition, have the courage to show who was responsible and who suffered,” Agnihotri wrote. He added, “Don’t dilute history. If you make the Mahabharata, would you blur the lines so much that no one knows who stood for dharma?”

Freedom at Midnight, directed by Nikkhil Advani and set to release on SonyLIV on November 15, adapts the book of the same name by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins. The series depicts key figures and events during India’s Partition, featuring Sidhant Gupta as Jawaharlal Nehru, Chirag Vohra as Mahatma Gandhi, and Rajendra Chawla as Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

This series has already sparked debate among audiences and historians for its approach to sensitive historical narratives, with Agnihotri’s comments adding fuel to the ongoing conversation.