The Royals Review
The Royals tells the story of a dashing Prince Aviraaj (Ishaan Khatter) who runs across Sophia (Bhumi Pednekar), a tenacious self-made businesswoman. Their meeting ignites a conflict of monarchy and businesses in which ambition, legacy, and love mix in unanticipated ways.
Director Priyanka Ghose’s series centres on a Morpur royal family drowning in debt whose financial woes are resolved by a tie-up with Workpotato, run by Sophia Kanmani Shekhar. She wishes to start a high-profile initiative allowing common people to live with the royals at the palace and grasp their world. The concept is novel, and the set design and portrayal of royal life are excellent; nonetheless, much of the tale is mediocre and predictable.
Though what we have is a formulaic story—royalty hiding their flaws behind a perfect facade: Aviraaj running from obligations, his younger brother Digvijay (Vihaan Samat) pursuing his dream of becoming a chef, and Princess Divyaranjini (Kavya Trehan) being a ditzy, confused soul battling with her identity and purpose—the potential of traditional royalty working (or clashing) with a modern startup was great.
Six of the eight episodes centre around Aviraaj and Sophia’s now-on, now-off romance replete with anticipated situations including jealousy, misunderstandings, and rebound flings. Presented in a conventional, surface-level way are subjects including same-sex partnerships in the royal family, Rani Padmaja (Sakshi Tanwar) chasing her ambition as a widow, and Prince Digvijay deciding to follow a ‘commoner’ dream. Some plot lines seem too convenient: a sudden change of heart from a rival who gives crores to rescue the palace, or Digvijay concealing his royal identity on a reality show with only a cap and basic clothing.
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Without significant narrative consistency, the story seems disjointed over several episodes, alternating between Sophia’s investor concerns, the royal family’s internal drama, Royal B&B launch preparations, Diggy’s culinary ambitions, and Rani Padmaja’s love life. That said, the show does offer a few engaging elements — the raj tilak scenes give an authentic glimpse into traditional rituals.
Though their chemistry falls flat, Bhumi Pednekar and Ishaan Khatter do well separately. Sakshi Tanwar as Rani Padmaja gives a strong performance, while Zeenat Aman, the lively royal grandmother, adds amusing, bright energy. Ishaan shines well in the scene where he challenges his mother on the reality of his father’s narrative—one of the few emotionally intense sequences in the show.
Though it ultimately feels uneven and predictable, The Royals has all the components for a gripping drama—royalty, ambition, love, and reinvention. Though there are some excellent performances and stunning images, the show falls short in exploring its topics, hence missing much of its promise.
