I confess, I’m fashionably late to Netflix’s The Royals party, starring Ishaan Khatter and Bhumi Pednekar, which dropped on May 9. After binge watching, I’m left as baffled as a tourist lost in Morpur’s fictional palace.
Why did I watch it?
Zeenat Aman’s magnetic aura and Ishaan Khatter’s charm are the only culprits that are keeping me from a full refund of my time.
Set in Rajasthan’s glitzy Morpur palace, The Royals strives to be a spicy Indian rom-com with royal vibes, but sadly, it crash-lands into the quicksand of melodrama. Think family feuds, tired secrets, and a love story flat and dried like a day-old roti.
Khatter plays Aviraaj, the brooding, gym-going Maharaja. Bhumi Pednekar plays Sophia, a modern startup CEO, but delivers the energy of a slightly confused statue. Their “will-they-won’t-they” romance fizzles harder than a Diwali cracker in the rain.
Compare this to Emily in Paris’s frothy cultural charm—The Royals stumbles, draping modern India in clichés (polo, “hukum,” palaces, Maharajas and ‘Rani-sa’) without Bridgerton’s regal swagger.
The palace’s vibrant walls outshine the cast, who seem more stuck in a glamour pageant than an engaging OTT series.
Khatter’s shirtless scenes are so frequent, they’re practically a drinking game—sip every time pecs appear, and you’ll be tipsy by episode two.
Then come the subplots, like queer royals or a chef prince, which are tossed in like undercooked spices, never blending. Then, if we talk about Zeenat Aman’s queenly cameo, it vanishes faster than a WhatsApp message.
The only true standout is Sakshi Tanwar as the Queen Mother—blending everywoman’s love for jewellery and art, with everest-high ‘royal’ pride. She walks off with every scene and makes you wish she was around more than the main characters.
Khatter fights valiantly to embody Aviraaj’s charisma, while Pednekar’s Sophia enactment is as wooden as palace furniture. Overall, The Royals is a glossy mirage—pretty to look at, but no royal depth. The show is entirely skippable, unless you’re there for Zeenat’s “barely visible” sparkle or Ishaan’s charming smile.
