Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; January 25, 2018)

"The honour is well-deserved,” beams Ali Fazal with pride, after his film, Victoria & Abdul, bagged Oscar nominations in two categories — Best Costume Design, and Best Makeup and Hairstyling. “Consolata Boyle [designer] has worked so hard on the costumes. Her work is intricate and detailed.”

The actor, who played Abdul in the film that traced Queen Victoria’s unlikely friendship with her servant, says that Boyle was adept at creating ensembles for Judi Dench’s character. However, it was Fazal’s outfits that posed a challenge. “Most of the work went on my clothes — from the gold-plated buttons on the kurta to the fabric of the attires. With this film, we put our culture of opulent costumes out there for the world to see."

Fazal is optimistic that with the West appreciating the exquisite designs associated with Indian clothes, there will be increased interest in Indian designers. "They need to pull up their socks because the world is taking notice of Indian designs.”

Ask him if he’ll head to the Oscars and he says, “I will be in Los Angeles. If all goes well, I might get to go for it.”