If you can do away with its racial undertones and its alleged factual inaccuracy, Victoria & Abdul is an endearing tale of love and friendship that will leave a smile on your face for the most part of it. Watch it for its humour and the performances by Judi Dench, Ali Fazal and other actors in the film.

At risk of sounding racist, the movie is one that most people unaccustomed to the Indian way of life will enjoy as to them it is a window into a world (British-ruled India) they seldom make an effort at truly understanding. But to most people inhabiting this country, stories good and bad about the British Raj are ones we have seen and heard before, and with little to no character or grit written for the Indian representative of the cast, the film might prove to be a tough pill to swallow.

Despite an uneven narrative and historical inaccuracies, Victoria and Abdul is a delightful film that deserves to be watched for Judi Dench.

Perhaps it’s an attempt to make Islam more palatable to a terrorism-plagued West, but it seems tone deaf in a post-2014 India, where it might just fan certain undesirable flames.

All in all, we can only end with what the filmmakers begin the movie with, a caveat that “This is based on a true story…… Mostly.”

There’s an odd sense of misguided chronicling in the film, which is strange considering it’s directed by Stephen Frears who has made rather lovely films like High Fidelity. The lack of irony, or satirical bite from his earlier film The Queen ultimately hurts Victoria and Abdul, more a missed opportunity than a piece of entertainment.

Victora & Abdul is a could-have-been-better movie about an interesting story. Despite the ravishing chemistry between lead actors, the film is an underwhelming watch.

Unfortunately, as told by this film, through Ali Fazal whose Abdul is as two-dimensional as a cardboard, with as little insight into the man transported into an alien world, Victoria and Abdul plays out exactly like a fantasy.

Don’t be taken in by the delightful sight of Queen Victoria speaking in broken Hindi, and don’t fall for a dreamy-eyed Ali Fazal reciting the decadent history of the Taj Mahal. Victoria & Abdul is a shameful attempt to normalise evil. Everyone involved could, and should, have done better.

I wish we could’ve bid farewell Judi Dench with a more memorable Queen Victoria role. There are a lot of options this week and this one will surely drown in the flood of other movies.

Victoria & Abdul offers mixed reactions. It is pleasantly sweet but annoyingly off-putting.

Ali Fazal Fails To Match Up To Judi Dench’s Brilliance…

What it packs with significance is a leading lady whose authority in cinema few can hold candle to. And it’s to her credit that even the most dubious figures of history can boast of a heart.

The movie is specifically nostalgic about the Victoria and Abdul equation. Don’t go looking for political commentary, you will be disappointed with its mild manners.