Mohammadi News Agency News – Features – Photo
MNA Culture & Entertainment Desk: Bollywood actor Ali Fazal, who was seen in Paul Walker, Vin Diesel starrer Furious 7, has been roped in as the male lead role opposite Academy Award winning-actress Judi Dench in Hollywood film titled Victoria and Abdul.
Sharing his enjoyment on the news he stated that, “I can’t wait to take on Judi. She is the cherry on this wonderful pudding. The most loved woman of Britain and probably the world. It was a process of endless auditions and readings and conversations and today I am so glad that they grilled fully into it to a point of no return. I am ecstatic and I guess it hasn’t really sunk in. So I will take a bow when I finish my work on the film. The fun has just begun.”
Ali, who is looking forward to release of Happy Bhag Jayegi, added, “It doesn’t get better I guess. I have known about this beautiful story for ages. Never thought I’d be destined to play out a real-life character. Stephen Frears is one of my all-time favourite directors- from dangerous liaisons to the queen he’s made it all.”
Film story
Ali plays the lead opposite Judi Dench in the film which is grounded on Shrabani Basu’s book and the film expresses the astonishing true story of an unforeseen friendship during the later years of Queen Victoria rule with an Indian clerk, Abdul in her court.
Set is the 1800s, Abdul Karim, a young clerk, travels from India to take part in the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, he is astonished to find favor with the Queen herself.
As the Queen questions the constrictions of her long-held position, the two forge an unlikely and keen coalition with a faithfulness to one another that her household and inner circle all efforts to abolish.
As the friendship deepens, the Queen begins to see a changing world through new eyes and joyfully reclaims her humanity.
However, the film is being produced by Working Title Films and will be distributed worldwide by Focus Entertainment which is a division of NBC Universal.
The film is being directed by award-winning director Stephen Frears who has made films like Philomena and The Queen and the screenplay is by Academy Award Winner Lee Hall whose written movies like Billy Ellio.
