From Bollywood films to international productions, Ali Fazal has built a successful career across different film industries. Recently, while appearing on Shekhar Tonite with Shekhar Suman, the actor shared an interesting story from his time working on the Hollywood film Victoria & Abdul. His experience highlighted the importance of language and cultural authenticity in international filmmaking.
During the conversation, Shekhar Suman asked Ali Fazal about his experiences working on Hollywood projects and adapting to film sets where he was often surrounded by international cast and crew members. In response, Ali spoke about his memorable time working alongside Judi Dench in Victoria & Abdul, a film based on a real life story.
Recalling the experience, Ali explained how language became an important part of his role during the production. The film tells the story of Abdul Karim, who became a close confidant of Queen Victoria and taught her Urdu for fifteen years. While preparing for the role, Ali also spent time reading historical letters connected to the story.
Talking about the project, Ali Fazal said, “My experience was beautiful in Hollywood with Victoria & Abdul. It’s a true story. Abdul Karim was a confidant of Queen Victoria, and he taught her Urdu for fifteen years. I even read their letters. It’s actually a love story. There was shayari and Urdu poetry in it, so eventually, whenever I corrected something, maybe a nukta was wrong or something, it would go through this entire route. It would go to the BBC, then different people would check it from the right places, check, check, check… and finally they started trusting me. They said, ‘Okay, yeah, you know what, just let us know if it’s correct or wrong.’”
Ali’s comments revealed how seriously the filmmakers approached accuracy when it came to Urdu language and poetry in the film. According to him, even minor corrections would go through several levels of verification before being approved. Over time, the production team became confident in his knowledge and began relying on his feedback.
The actor’s story offers a glimpse into the responsibilities that can come with portraying culturally significant characters on an international platform. It also highlights the effort made by filmmakers to maintain authenticity in storytelling. Through this experience, Ali Fazal not only performed his role but also contributed to ensuring that important linguistic and cultural details were presented accurately on screen.