TGIF! Film review: Victoria and Abdul

Last night was the first girls’ night out in a long time. We’re all busy bringing up families and working etc, but decided we needed to go out and have some fun. We had a lovely Italian meal, wine (a little to much) and a movie which made us laugh and (almost) cry. Not a weepie, but a lovely story about a friendship between two unlikely people.

Victoria and Abdul chronicles the relationship between an 81 year old Queen Victoria and Abdul Karim, a lowly Indian clerk brought to England to present Her Majesty with a commemorative coin. Karim had a loveable, cheeky manner and was soon brought into Victoria’s household as a footman, then a teacher of Urdu and quickly became one of her favourites, despite the horrified reaction of her staff and family. Apparently, the movie is based on a true story only recently come to light as shortly after Victoria’s death Karim was sent back to India with his family and all traces of him and their correspondence were erased by her children.

It is a lovely movie, with a fabulous performance by Judi Dench as the cantankerous queen who is at times spectacularly difficult but also tender and sweet, and Ali Fazal as fun loving Abdul Karim. Have you seen it? What did you think?