Scoop Actor Prashanth Goswami On Playing Shafi In Freedom At Midnight 2: ‘Welcoming Yet Daunting’

Actor Prashanth Goswami, best known for his work in Scoop, Yodha, and television shows like Kaatelal & Sons, is set to appear in Freedom at Midnight Season 2, where he essays the role of Shafi, one of the three

aides assisting Cyril Radcliffe during the Partition of India. The series, which explores the human cost and emotional turbulence behind one of history’s most defining moments, will stream on Sony LIV from January 9, 2026.

In an exclusive conversation, Goswami opened up about the layered complexity of Shafi, the responsibility of portraying a man working behind the scenes of history, and the emotional weight of the narrative.

“A Character From A Different Religion Was Both Welcoming And Daunting”

Speaking about what initially drew him to the role, Goswami reflected on the cultural and personal distance between himself and the character.

“I’m a Hindu Brahmin by caste, and being given the opportunity to portray a character from a completely different religion, creed, and ethics was both welcoming and daunting. What truly appealed to me was Shafi’s temperament—he confronts situations far more openly than I do. Where I try to maintain equanimity, Shafi doesn’t restrain himself, especially when it comes to self-esteem, religion, and fairness.”

For Goswami, Shafi’s emotional directness and moral urgency made the role both challenging and deeply engaging.

Carrying The Weight Of History

Portraying a character involved in decisions that shaped nations came with an immense sense of responsibility—something Goswami says the cast was constantly conscious of during filming.

“We were constantly aware that the three aides, along with Radcliffe himself, had to be extremely diligent and punctilious in their final rendering. An error could unwillingly become the cause of conflict between two or even three nations, numerous religions, and countless individuals. That awareness made it imperative for us to exercise maturity, restraint, and wariness in every performance choice.”

The gravity of history wasn’t just thematic—it informed every acting decision on set.

Emotional Access Beyond Textbooks

According to Goswami, what distinguishes Freedom at Midnight from other historical dramas is its emotional intimacy.

“What truly sets Freedom at Midnight apart is the emotional access it gives the audience. You witness first-hand agony, dismay, despair, helplessness, fury, and several other emotional states from individuals who were part of a one-way historical journey—something that, as an audience, hasn’t quite been felt before.”

Rather than presenting history as a distant event, the series places viewers inside the emotional fallout of irreversible decisions.

Shafi’s Evolving View Of Cyril Radcliffe

Goswami also spoke about how Shafi’s relationship with Cyril Radcliffe transforms over time, moving from distrust to deep respect, “What begins as suspicion slowly dissolves into admiration and compassion. Radcliffe’s awareness that even a slight misstep could devastate nations—including his own—changes everything. He not only helped unite the three of us during internal conflicts but also stood firmly against opposing forces during the nationwide turmoil, which deeply influenced Shafi’s respect for him.”

This evolving dynamic becomes one of the emotional anchors of the season.

The Most Intense Scene On Set

Recalling the most emotionally demanding moment during filming, Goswami pointed to a scene that brought ideological tensions to the surface, “One particular scene involved the three aides—representing Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim communities—debating equitable representation. What started as a rational deliberation escalated when personal bias entered the conversation, and without sound reasoning, we were at each other’s throats in no time. The scene was masterfully shot, deeply felt by the crew, and left a lasting emotional impact on all three of us.”

The moment, he says, mirrored the very fractures the series seeks to examine.

Freedom at Midnight Season 2 premieres on Sony LIV on January 9, 2026, continuing its exploration of the people who shaped history not from podiums, but from the shadows where decisions carried irreversible consequences.