The list of women who held power is a short one, but it features history’s most remarkable figures who rose to power and wielded it with effect despite the openly sexist of our society. Queen Victoria, monarch of the British Empire that ruled most of the world at the height of her power, served as the empire’s sovereign in a time when her female subjects did not even have jobs, and the arc of personal and public her life has been the subject of much investigation. Victoria was married to Prince Albert in 1840 and until his death in 1861, she was devoted to him.
However, his death plunged her into a period of mourning that was said to last until the end. Towards the fag end of her reign (and her life) however, she found personal happiness in a very unlikely place. She developed a deep bond with her Indian servant Abdul Karim, something that had Her Majesty’s own friends and family, her own royal subjects judging her. The friendship is the subject of the new Judi Dench movie Victoria and Abdul, the first official trailer for which was released today. The film is set to be a sumptuous, royalty focusses film set in the heart of Victorian-era Britain, and brings to life an unlikely story in a setting that has been often reproduced in movies.
For the character of Abdul, Lucknow-born Ali Fazal has been cast. Fazal made his debut in the English language film The Other End Of The Line. Appearing at the event releasing the trailer, Ali said that it was a big moment for him when he found out that he had bagged the role, especially because he had been chosen over some of the actors who he looked up to. The movie has been directed by Stephen Frears and is slated to hit the screens on September 15.
