Judi Dench to play Queen Victoria in her next

Oscar-winning actor Judi Dench will play Queen Victoria in a screen adaptation of 'Victoria and Abdul: The True Story of the Queen's Closest Confidante', by director Stephen Frears from a book by the London-based Indian journalist and author Shrabani Basu.

The book tells the story of the unusual bond that developed between Queen Victoria, then Empress of India, and Abdul Karim, a 24-year old Indian who was sent to London to wait tables for the Queen during her golden jubilee celebrations. An unconventional affection flowered between the ageing queen and Abdul, as he became her Urdu instructor, and she his English teacher. 

According to a report, author Shrabani Basu says she is "absolutely delighted" with the news about the film, calling the three at the helm - Stephen Frears as director, Lee Hall as screenplay writer and Judi Dench as lead actor - a "dream team."