Dame Judi Dench returns to a favorite royal role in 'Victoria & Abdul'

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The new movie "Victoria & Abdul" is inspired by real events and tells the story of Queen Victoria's unorthodox friendship with a young Muslim man visiting Great Britain from India.

The film stars Judi Dench. It's her second time playing the Queen. She earned an Oscar nomination for her role in 1997's "Mrs. Brown." For this film, the cast and crew were able to shoot on location in Osborne House, a palace where Queen Victoria spent much of her time.

"Everything about it, the desk, everything was there," said Dench. "And that wonderful bit of carpet we weren't allowed to step on. Wonderful carpet. There's a blue line in it. I don't know why but we weren't allowed to step in that. That was quite comic. We got around it in the end. A little leap over! But it was fantastically helpful of course."

"They said, 'Well you can tread on that bit of the carpet but not that bit,'" laughed director Stephen Frears. "I mean they were understandably protective of things that were in there. But we didn't break anything. I don't remember breaking anything."

The film marks the fifth time Dench and Frears have worked together, which means they've developed their own "shorthand" on set.

"Sometimes I'll say something and she says, 'Oh you mean act better.' And I say, 'Yes, more or less," said Frears. "She just makes it very easy. She's so intelligent and thoughtful and chooses well. She'll suddenly say to me, 'Oh that one we did three years ago, I made a bad choice.' I say, 'Oh forget it for God's sake.' She's just great."

"Victoria & Abdul" also stars Ali Fazal and Eddie Izzard and is rated PG-13. It's in theaters Sept. 22.