Victoria & Abdul (5 Stars)

This is a simply beautiful story that takes place from 1887 to 1901. It's a remarkable true story that was almost erased from history, until it was unearthed when a trunk full of personal correspondence was discovered in 2010.

Abdul Karim, born into a Moslem family in 1863, was a clerk who worked in a prison writing the names of the prisoners in the Agra jail as they were admitted and discharged. In 1887 he was selected to deliver Queen Victoria a gift for her golden jubilee and work as a servant at her meals. This wasn't because of any previous experiences as a servant, it was because he was the tallest Indian in Agra and considered to look imposing.

The Queen, who was 68 at the time, immediately took a liking to the young Indian. As their friendship developed she considered it inappropriate for him to remain a servant, so she gave him the title Munshi, "teacher". He taught her about Indian philosophy and Indian history, as well as teaching her how to read and write Urdu. In her last few years Victoria wrote her personal diaries in Urdu, which still exist today. The only displeasure Victoria ever had with Abdul was when she found out he was distorting Indian history to make Hindus sound evil and Moslems sound noble.

Queen Victoria's family and royal advisers were shocked by the close friendship between Victoria and Abdul. It was a mixture of jealousy, racism and looking down on the lower classes. Victoria didn't let herself be influenced by them. She gave Abdul many gifts and royal titles. This ended when she died in 1901. When Victoria's son Bertie became king (Edward VII) he evicted Abdul from his estate and ordered him to return to India as quickly as possible. All of the Queen's personal correspondence in Abdul's home was burnt, and all traces of Abdul in Buckingham Palace were destroyed. Only two pieces of evidence remain:

1. Queen Victoria's diaries, written in Urdu, were spared, probably because nobody knew what they were.

2. Queen Victoria wrote many letters to Abdul while he was visiting India, which were stored in an unopened trunk from his death in 1909 until 2010.

The film contains a lot of comedy, especially in the first half hour, but as it develops it becomes serious. The relationship between the Queen and her Munshi is moving, while the personal animosity that Abdul received is tragic. This is a story that sounds too bizarre to be true.