The Royals: Bhumi and Ishaan Bring Fireworks to This Regal Romantic Comedy

The Royals, the most mainstream rom-com on Netflix India without apology, has all of the tropes of the genre. It is glamorous, fun, scandalous, and even sometimes raunchy. But amid all that, The Royals does have heart as well. Mix in a hint of royal lavishness, and the show addresses a gap in Hindi entertainment where Bollywood and Bridgerton unite, and extremely stylishly too. The Royals is far from flawless. It has its glitches and imperfections, but amidst them, the directors Priyanka Ghose and Nupur Asthana are able to create a chuckle ride which is a long-overdue mess-breaker for the heavy Indian OTT content calendar.

The former royal family of Morpur is under threat. Maharaja Yuvnath Singh (Milind Soman) is dead, and he has left all his responsibilities to his son Aviraaj (Ishaan Khatter). But Aviraaj, aka Fizzy, has no interest in being a ruler and wishes to go back to his modelling profession in New York. But he is compelled to remain behind by his mother, Rani Padmaja (Sakshi Tanwar) because the Morpurs don't have any money. And thus, they are compelled to enter into an alliance with a start-up which is keen to begin a 'royal B&B' in the palace. Sophia (Bhumi Pednekar), the CEO of the company, confronts Aviraaj, and tempers flare in the confrontations.

The Royals is a traditional rom-com where the heroine and hero have a hate-to-love journey while at the same time learning about themselves. The characters of the show seem real, and that alone is a grand success. It never loses the feel of realness even when the characters are residing in palaces, travelling in Bentleys, and adorned in diamonds costing crores. That is mere ornamentation.

The humor is the USP of the show, offering situational and smart comedy. The one-liners are witty, and the dialogue is extremely Gen Z. Even minor characters who make a one-off strange appearance get their moment in the sun, like the auctioner attempting to persuade Aviraaj to sell his Rolls-Royce as a package deal with the Bentley.