Series Review: The Royals
Starring: Bhumi Pednekar, Ishaan Khatter, Nora Fatehi, Sakshi Tanwar, Zeenat Aman, Chunky Pandey, Milind Soman, Vihaan Samat, Jagdish Rajpurohit, Luke Kenny, Dino Morea; Creator: Neha Sharma(3 / 5)
The sumptuous Rajasthani palaces, complete with lavish jewels and elaborate costumes, as the setting of this latest Netflix offering from India is its biggest draw.
Aviraaj ‘Fizzy’ Singh (Khatter) is the handsome entitled heir to the throne of a titular king, or maharaj, in a beautifully regal setting of India. Sophia Kanmani Shekhar (Pednekar) is a self-made tech entrepreneur who has been richly rewarded for her canny ability to spot a niche in the hospitality industry and turn it into a success story.
The paths of these two very contrasting personalities collide at an awards function where sparks fly, but not entirely in a fun way. It later turns out that Fizzy is the new Maharaj of the dilapidated palace that Sophia has bet on to keep her company board on side to hold on to her position as CEO. With her entire career resting on this project, she is determined to give it her all to ensure the success of her concept of cutting through class divides – creating an Air BnB like app where raj kumars (prince) and aam kumars (common folk) can fraternise together.
MORE LIKE THIS…
But with two different kinds of eccentric matriarchs (Aman and Tanwar) and sibling rivalry muddying the waters, will Sophia manage to get carefree Fizzy to take this project even a little bit seriously or will their sexual attraction prove a major roadblock in the path to her goals?
If the plot sounds rather flimsy, then it’s because it lacks any depth and relies solely on the weight of the glittering designer clothes and accessories. The result is that while the flawless set design and eye-catching cinematography score high, the same cannot be said for the storyline or those executing it on screen.
MORE LIKE THIS…
If these royals were presented as a parody, playing to the cluelessness of the fading Maharajas for laughs, this may well have been a far more bewitching series. But in its current form it fails to make any meaningful impact beyond the superficial, compounded by the elusive chemistry between the lead pair. The result is a rather underwhelming show that fails to capitalise on an impressive Bollywood line-up.