Director Priyanka Ghose responded to the backlash surrounding the casting of Ishaan Khatter and Bhumi Pednekar, the inclusion of shirtless scenes, and Zeenat Aman’s cameo in The Royals.
Netflix India’s new romantic comedy The Royals premiered last week with an eight-episode run. Despite its lavish sets and elegant costumes, the show has received mixed reactions from both viewers and critics. Many feel the storyline lacks depth, and several have pointed out a lack of chemistry between the lead pair. Director Priyanka Ghose has now addressed the growing criticism, which includes disapproval of the casting of Ishaan Khatter and Bhumi Pednekar, Ishaan’s shirtless scenes, and even Zeenat Aman’s brief cameo.
Priyanka Ghose responded to the backlash in a statement to India Today: “With Bhumi’s casting by Netflix, I was actually very open to the idea of trying this new pairing. They are both such powerful actors, and I was excited to see them embody glamourous roles, which goes against both of their works so far. While Ishaan hasn’t got a chance to play a glamorous mainstream hero role, Bhumi has always been like the queen of heartland India.”
Priyanka added that their chemistry always felt natural: “If it didn’t work for some people, I will try better next time. But there are also people who enjoyed the show and their chemistry. It’s crazy how polarised the feedback has been.”
The director also addressed Ishaan’s shirtless scenes in the show, clarifying that they were part of the original script and felt organic to the storyline. She emphasized that the scenes were not excessive and were handled with care. Both the team and Ishaan were mindful of not overdoing it. Although they had a range of stylish outfits prepared for his character, many were ultimately used less frequently than planned.
“Ishaan is an intelligent actor, and he wouldn’t have agreed to take his shirt off at the drop of a hat. He is always conscious of that, and there were times when he even discussed if we were overdoing it. There was actually an amazing fashionable wardrobe for him, and we would have loved to use more clothes on him,” Priyanka stated. According to Priyanka, Zeenat Aman’s part was originally designed as a special cameo. “It was never meant to be a full track. Whenever we have legendary superstars making cameo appearances, we crave more, and the same happened with Zeenat ma’am. As much as I would have loved, the script had only those many scenes.”
Set in the fictional town of Morpur, The Royals follows the journey of young prince Aviraaj—nicknamed Fizzy (played by Ishaan Khatter)—who wants nothing to do with royal responsibilities. However, when his father passes away and he learns that the family’s wealth has all but vanished, Fizzy is forced to step up and embrace the role of Maharaj.
In a bid to save their crumbling palace, the royal family joins forces with a modern startup. Enter Sophia (Bhumi Pednekar), a sharp and ambitious CEO with a daring plan: transform the historic estate into a luxurious bed-and-breakfast. As Sophia and Fizzy navigate their partnership, sparks fly and cultures collide, setting the stage for both tension and transformation. The series also boasts a stellar ensemble cast including Sakshi Tanwar, Milind Soman, Nora Fatehi, Vihaan Samat, Dino Morea, and more in pivotal roles.