Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; June 29, 2017)

The makers of Ali Fazal and Judi Dench-starrer Victoria & Abdul are leaving no stone unturned to make the Brit-drama reminiscent of the 1800s. The studio has roped in Oscar nominated Irish costume designer, Consolata Boyle, to create the attires for the period saga.

A source from the unit informs mid-day, “After a lot of research, 600 costumes were made for Ali’s role. Judi’s outfits outnumbered those of the actor. The makers wanted to see the options to ensure that each scene was depicted accurately. Given that the film is set in the 1800, they wanted to imitate the culture.”

As many as 50 artisans had worked for several months to make the costumes. Buzz is, Indian designers Raghavendra Rathore and Ujjwal Dubey have also worked on the film to create a few traditional ensembles for Ali. In fact, the actor had recommended Dubey’s name to the makers. “The attires made them standout on screen. Boyle’s perfection and elegance is evident from the attires. We have noticed it in the trailer that released a few days ago,” informs a source from the film’s studio.

The film chronicles an unlikely friendship formed between Queen Victoria (Dench) and an Indian orderly (Abdul, Fazal), summoned to serve at her court.