Underrated in Bollywood, Ali Fazal stands strong alongside Judi Dench in ‘Victoria & Abdul’ trailer

An ageing queen of England, a twenty-something lad from India, and the pre-Independence era when anything apart from a master-servant relationship, let alone an endearing one, between the English and the Indians, was unfathomable; this is the backdrop of the movie ‘Victoria & Abdul’. Here we have our very own Ali Fazal, playing Abdul, the young lad who was sent to wait on the queen, played by none other than Academy Award winner Judi Dench.

Ali is flawless and breezing through each and every frame of the trailer. Unlike many instances wherein we see Bollywood stars showing up only as a trophy or as a conventional Indian in Hollywood movies, Ali’s character of Abdul brings a respite, despite being that of a traditional Indian in the pre-Independence era. He has captured the nuances of Abdul beautifully, and it will be quite fascinating to watch his character on the big screen, when the movie hits the theatres.

The friendship between the queen and Ali’s character Abdul flows beautifully in the trailer. The two-odd minutes are enough to prove that Bollywood has underrated Ali Fazal, and probably Hollywood has grabbed him. To perform alongside Judi Dench is no child’s play, yet the man does it so endearingly. (Also Read: Here’s why Ali Fazal turned down an international project)

Based on the novel of the same name by Shrabani Basu, ‘Victoria & Abdul’ will hit the screens on September 22, 2017.

Kadambari Srivastava

Grammar Nazi, word weaver, dreamer, bibliophile, technophile, caffeine addict, foodie, shuttling shopaholic! Mash it in a Bollywood recipe and voila! Pushpa, you’ve got her!