Netflix's 'The Royals' Does not Work as a Bollywood Romance

Netflix's latest Bollywood romantic series, 'The Royals', has been making waves in its first week of release by ranking number one in seven countries. However, the series has more flaws than perfections. 

The Lack of Emotional Nuance

The series is about the CEO of Work Potato, Sophia, who bumps into Prince Aviraaj of Morpur on a trip. Although, their first meeting goes wrong, fate brings them together again when Sophia plans to transform the Morpur Palace, Aviraaj's home, into a Royal B&B. 

Neha Veena Sharma has created a story that is filled with romcom stereotypes and cliches that have been recycled and feel like it. Aren't we all over the opposites attract trope yet?

There are various subplots, including Aviraaj's family, but they are run-of-the-mill stories that viewers cannot connect with anymore. 

A story based on the revival of an Indian palace had so much potential with the combination of romantic drama, but the writer has recreated a story that is a Netflix prototype.

The emotional nuance runs low with melodrama and stereotypical emotional baggage dominating every scene, which does not help viewers relate to the story. 

The directors Priyanka Ghose and Nupur Asthana have filled the series with cringeworthy glamor and loud parties, which make the series feel more like an endless, wild party and reduce the emotional impact. 

The Need for More Depth to the CEO Girl Boss

Bhumi Pednekar plays a very headstrong, emotional, and impulsive girl boss, which does not match with her character, who has worked hard to establish her company and has won various accolades for it. 

Although these traits are justified by showing that she acts like this when she is around Aviraaj, it still does not make any sense for an established and sensible CEO to be all over the place all the time.

Sophia also has some confrontations, which have become stereotypical of girl bosses in series these days, but these moments only make the character look over-the-top, which is not the best trait for a girl boss to have. 

Where was Zeenat Aman? 

Veteran Bollywood star Zeenat Aman plays Prince Aviraaj's grandmother, but has no subplot of her own. She provides emotional support and advice to her daughter-in-law, Paddy, but that's about it.

Aman was last seen in the 2019 film 'Panipat', so it has been a long time since she appeared in any film or series. Therefore, fans had high expectations from her role in the series, but it amounted to nothing. 

AviraajxSophia: Was the Chemistry There?

Ishaan Khatter and Bhumi Pednekar have good chemistry in the series, but the directors have constantly pushed it on viewers with their overly passionate moments, which rob their story of an emotionally nuanced arc. 

There is a constant pull and push between the couple, which irritates the viewer, instead of keeping one hooked. 

Is 'The Royals' Misleading About the Royals in India?

Founder of the platform Royal Fables, Anshu Khanna, recently took to social media to highlight the series' misrepresentation of royals in India. 

The series shows that the royals of Morpur are in debt. Khanna negated this fact by saying, "They are land owners and inheritors of a rich legacy that they are monetising."

Also, the series shows that the royals of Morpur do not do anything. The Royal Fables clarified that Indian royals are "educated and employed citizens who fight elections, become ministers, are temple patrons, hoteliers, and empower women."

Khanna listed various other criticisms, separating myths that the series has represented from reality. 

'The Royals' promised Bollywood fans a heartfelt romance, but this romance drama lacks the magic it promised to deliver.