Victoria and Abdul
Historical drama adaptation of Shrabani Basu’s book about Queen Victoria’s friendship with a young Indian clerk.
Director: Stephen Frears
Cast includes: Judi Dench, Eddie Izzard, Ali Fazal
111 Mins / 2017 / UK / USA
Judi Dench and Eddie Izzard star in this historical drama directed by Stephen Frears. Adapted from the book by Shrabani Basu, the film follows Queen Victoria (Dench) as she forms an unlikely friendship with young Indian clerk Abdul Karim (Ali Fazal).
When Abdul travels to London from India to deliver a ceremonial coin as part of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee celebrations, he quickly finds favour with her and is soon made her personal footman. Despite the reservations of Victoria’s closest advisers, the pair go on to form a strong bond with Abdul rising through the ranks and becoming one of the Queen’s most trusted allies. As their friendship grows, Victoria learns to see the world through new eyes and begins to approach life with renewed vigour.
