Ali Fazal Birthday special: 5 things he did to play Abdul Karim

Ali Fazal is currently pumped up to know as to how his Hollywood debut film ‘Victoria & Abdul’ is being received in India, where he plays the part of Abdul Karim.

On the occasion of his birthday, let’s take a look at 5 things that he did to get into the skin of Abdul Karim

The struggle of Ali Fazal.

As the title suggests, he did not land the part so easily. He happened to send across a recording to the makers after the auditions were done with. But, director Stephen Frears liked him so much that he chose to give Ali a shot, and about 10 auditions later, history was made.

Prepping for Abdul Karim the hard way!

Victoria and Abdul is based on a book of the same name by Shrabani Basu. Instead of going by the book, he wanted to get a feel of this characters’ psyche in greater depth, for which he locked himself in a room in London and binged on 100 years of Victorian history to stay true to Abdul

One in a hundred!

To play Abdul, as many as a hundred Bollywood and Indian-origin Hollywood actors were considered for the part. Ultimately, the final face-off took place between Fazal and Slumdog Millionaire actor Dev Patel.

First Indian to shoot in the Royal house of Osborne

Ali Fazal made history by becoming the first Indian to shoot in the royal house of Osborne on the Isle of Wight, which happens to be the former residence of The Royal Family. On his birthday last year, Judi had gifted Ali a rare collectible: a royal dinner table accessory case, as a souvenir from the Osborne House.

One man. One character. 600 costumes!

The studio had roped in Oscar-nominated Irish costume designer, Consolata Boyle, to create the attires for the period saga. After tons research, as many as 600 costumes were prepared for Ali’s Abdul Karim to ensure that each scene remained true to the era. As the movie was set in in the 1800s period, the makers have taken many precautions about the costumes, as inaccuracy attracts a fair amount of backlash in today’s day and age.