It was an uphill task for actor Ali Fazal to bag the lead role in veteran actor Judi Dench-starrer Victoria & Abdul. The 30-year-old, who plays the role of Abdul, gave more than 10 auditions before finally getting the nod from the makers of the film.
According to a source close to the actor, the makers weren’t convinced even after Ali’s second audition. “Ali bagged the role in a rather interesting way. He recorded his audition tape much after the auditions were closed. But to his surprise, he received a call for auditioning again. Even after two auditions, the director (Stephen Frears) wanted to be sure and kept a screen test again in London with other cast members,” informs the source.
Ali, however, remained unfazed throughout the lengthy process, and he feels “lucky” to finally be a part of the project. “The process of look tests and readings was a lengthy one. But come to think of it, I probably would’ve done the same if I was looking for my Abdul, to be absolutely sure. I don’t know what struck me but it was an interesting back and forth to a point that I even flew down to London to the studios for a read,” says the actor, who has worked in films such as Fukrey (2013) and Baan Bat Gayi (2013), Khamoshiyan (2015) among others.
Ali adds, “I am not sure if the number was exactly ten, but there were quite a few auditions. I think by the end I was disillusioned with it. Maybe that was Stephen’s (Frear) way, who knows! The pressure of scoring it, made me live it (the character) and believe in the possibility and reality of it. Or maybe I just got lucky. Who would ever know.”
{{/usCountry}}Ali adds, “I am not sure if the number was exactly ten, but there were quite a few auditions. I think by the end I was disillusioned with it. Maybe that was Stephen’s (Frear) way, who knows! The pressure of scoring it, made me live it (the character) and believe in the possibility and reality of it. Or maybe I just got lucky. Who would ever know.”
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