Stephen Frears has trouble putting into words just how easy it is for him to work with Dame Judi Dench in a movie. The pair have teamed for a third time for "Victoria & Abdul," the story of the final years in the life of Queen Victoria (played by Dench) when she formed a relationship with a lower class clerk from India that was so deep that he became more of a confidant than anyone in her own family.
"She's such a brilliant actor that there is very little for me to say. She has this wonderful sense of narrative," Frears says. "She is so good at her job and such a wonderful woman, the main thing I do is just get out of her way.
"I said I would only do the movie with Judi."
The task of sharing the majority of the scenes with Dench fell to India-born actor Ali Fazal. The 30 year old has been working in TV and films for a dozen years but none of his projects were as large in historical scope or had him co-starring with one of the most highly heralded actors working today.
Frears decided not to cast any Indian actors who had been born or were living in England but decided the person to play Abdul should be from India. His reasoning was that he wanted someone who would be slightly more mystified by Britain rather than knowing their way around.
He saw the fresh look when Fazal auditioned.
Getting the chance to work on the project with Dench was a dream come true for Fazal.
"I was like 'Alice in Wonderland' when I walked onto the set," Fazal says. "My first meeting with Judi was a bit of a fanboy moment. But, she so generous and such an easy person to like and love. She may be the most loved woman in Britain if not the world.
"I remember that moment when I walked in. I was a stranger and she just gave me the warmest hug. We were suddenly friends."
That connection was necessary because of the close bond their characters form. Fazal's character, a clerk who was only supposed to be in the presence of the queen for a presentation to mark her golden jubilee, becomes a trusted mentor and adviser. This happens despite a massive uproar from the royal family and household staff. This extremely unique relationship is based on true events that unfolded in the final years of Queen Victoria's reign.
The English director knew nothing about these events before becoming part of the project. Once he was on board, Frears decided that he would not spend additional time researching the story but depended entirely on the script by Lee Hall, which was based on the book of the same name by Shrabani Basu.
Fazal had heard when growing up about a man from India going to Britain and becoming a "munshi" to the queen. He immediately started doing research on the period to help him understand both the unique situation and the era.
"Here is a man who became her mentor and friend for 15 years and yet there wasn't a lot to be found. It's like the whole story had been brushed aside in both India and Britain," Fazal says. "I had to join all of the pieces of the puzzle because it has been about 130 years or so that it happened and there is no record.
"My god, I wish I had read as many books when I was in school. I went through nine, 10 books on history."
Researching a role is nothing new for Fazal but being cast in "Victoria & Abdul" was a different case because it is based on a true story. He wanted to make sure his performance earned the real Abdul the recognition he didn't get for so many years.
The way Frears has put the movie together, Victoria and Abdul find a bond that is fueled by a love and respect for each other that's strong enough to push aside the traditional way a queen should act. The director was able to get the performances he needed from his stars without a lot of rehearsal time. His preference is to have his actors find what they need while in front of the cameras.
Don't go looking for any deep meanings or complicated formulas to the film world when talking with Frears. He doesn't spend a lot of time chasing projects, but he finds good work comes his way. The process for him in selecting projects is that he will read something and if he likes it, he will do it. If he doesn't like it, then he won't.
That philosophy has worked well as Frears has: directed Glenn Close and Michelle Pfeiffer to Oscar nominations for "Dangerous Liaisons"; guided Annette Bening and Anjelica Huston to Academy nods for "The Grifters"; steered Dench to an Oscar nomination for "Mrs. Henderson Presents" and "Philomena"; and lead Meryl Streep to an Oscar nod for "Florence Foster Jenkins." It was under Frears' direction that Helen Mirren earned an Oscar for her work in "The Queen." Frears picked up two Oscar nominations for his direction of "The Queen" and "The Grifters."
Fazal and Dench did get a little rehearsal work done on their own, taking advantage of any free time they had.
"There were a lot of walks on the Isle of Wight and having British tea and scones where we had a chance to work on our performances," Fazal says.
A major topic of conversation was exactly how to describe the film. It certainly has enough facts to be considered a historical drama but at the same time it is a very intimate tale of two people from extremely different worlds who find a spiritual and emotional connection. There's also elements of a family story as there are times when Queen Victoria treats Abdul like a son.
Fazal looks at "Victoria & Abdul" as the story of a very intimate and spiritual relationship that was a little ahead of its time.
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