The Royals on Netflix: A Scorching Desi Rom-Com That’s All About Heart and Royal Chaos (2025)

Picture this: a sun-drenched Rajasthani palace, its golden walls whorls of whispers and unpaid bills, where a smirking prince matches wits with a fierce startup queen who would rather pitch a deal than faint. Sparks fly, insults wound, and love sneaks in, like a guest who forgot to RSVP. Welcome to The Royals on Netflix, the glitzy, power-hungry Hindi web series from May 9, 2025 featuring Ishaan Khatter and Bhumi Pednekar. Directed by Priyanka Ghose and Nupur Asthana, and produced by Pritish Nandy Communications, this eight-part rom-com is a colourful mash-up of Bollywood glitz and contemporary hustle. Is it the shahi love story of your dreams, or a royal mess? Pull up a snack and let’s spill the coffee on why The Royals is reigning over Netflix!

What’s The Royals All About?

The Royals is a enemies to lovers story, with a twist at the end, set up in a fictional Morpur estate somewhere in Rajasthan. Ishaan Khatter is Aviraaj Singh, a polo-playing, Maharaja who’s into New York selfies (his, anyway) more than his leaking palace. And Bhumi Pednekar, in her OTT debut, plays Sophia Kanmani Shekhar, a startup CEO with a zany idea: of converting royal estates into luxurious homestays. When Sophia presents her proposal for “Royal B&B” to the Morpur clan, she collides with Aviraaj, and cue the fireworks. What begins as a shouting match mutates into a romance that’s as unruly as a royal wedding.

The show, created by Rangita Pritish Nandy, gets into the collision of India’s faded royalty with today’s startup hustle. It’s Bridgerton meets Bollywood rom-com filled with witty banter, palace drama, and a modern desi twist. At eight episodes and about 40 minutes each, it’s a breezy binger perfect for a weekend getaway.

The Cast: The Royals Gets a Power packed Star Unit

The Royals’ greatest asset is the cast. Ishaan Khatter is a ball of fire as Aviraaj, both cocky charm and concealed heart. He’s fresh off The Perfect Couple and you make us swoon with every smirk— X is loving the shirtless polo shots! Bhumi Pednekar kills it as Sophia, and she leaves behind her girl-next-door accent to fill herself with some fierce girl boss energy. The chemistry between them is electric and every glare, quip feels like a love letter you can’t stop reading.

The cast is a Bollywood buffet. Sakshi Tanwar is the saving grace, giving sass like no other as Aviraaj’s Rani Padmaja with the iconic “Vidhwa hoon, murda nahi” injecting life into a thousand memes. The OG diva, Zeenat Aman, scene-steals in her Netflix debut as the grand matriarch. And with the addition of Nora Fatehi, Dino Morea, Milind Soman, Chunky Panday, Vihaan Samat, Kavya Trehan and Lisa Mishra on the judging panel, each episode is quite a vibe. And as one X user gushed: “This cast is stacked!!!!!!!!like a royal feast!

The Plot: Love, Drama and Palace Shenanigans

The Royals hits the ground running. The return of Aviraaj leads him home to Morpur, and an indebted palace. Enter Sophia, whose work-for-hire startup, Work Potato, will save Morpur by transforming it, she’s convinced, into a trendy tourist destination for Westerners.

Their first meeting — a heated argument about the palace’s future — is rom-com gold. Joined in attempts to save the estate, their hate-to-love arc plays out against palace gossip, corporate sharks, and family secrets.

Do anticipate classic rom-com mayhem: a “Romeo and Juliet” ball, sultry near-misses and a botched photoshoot. Subplots — such as Aviraaj’s scheming ex, Ayesha, and Sophia’s rival, Kunal — keep things lively, though a few seem rushed.

The show grapples with grand themes — female empowerment, tradition versus modernity — but its storyline of Sophia’s rise as a self-made woman takes center stage. Queer royals bring inclusivity, but fans want to see them move of them on screen. It’s sweet and silly and impossible to stop watching.

The Vibe: Rajasthan Glam Meets Startup Cool

In Jaipur and Mumbai, The Royals are visually rich too. The palace of Moti Bagh, with its peeled frescoes and rambling lawns, seems to be living and breathing, just as the Morpur family does.

Directors Ghose and Asthana get the mix of royal splendor and modern sleekness right on the money — ornate jharokhas meet chic boardrooms. Costumes are a mood: Aviraaj’s sherwanis drip royalty, and Sophia’s blazers exude power. A retooled “Tu Tu Hai Wahi” throws in some retro Bollywood flair.

But it’s not all perfect. The background score can be overbearing, with some users describing it as “tacky.” Pacing wanes in the middle, and a few scenes — a man forcing a kiss — feel dated. But the series’s ambition to mix Bollywood’s maximalism with a global rom-com vibe still makes it a standout.

Critical Analysis: Hits and Misses of the royals

The Royals is brave fare for Hindi OTT, and mongrel as it is, the genre does serve a need in leaving room for some high-energy, glamorous rom-coms. Its tangible conflict — between royalty and startups — is new, mimicking India’s struggle between ancient privilege and modern aspirations.

Bhumi and Ishaan are the heart and soul and their alpha-on-alpha chemistry outshines even weaker moments. As Hindustan Times gushes, “It’s sizzling, dazzling where Bhumi and Ishaan are concerned.” The cast and particularly Sakshi Tanwar’s wit and Zeenat Aman’s shade, lend weight. And though Sophia’s feminist arc is a win, activities over suffering, without preaching, and though Aviraaj’s transformation from frat-boy prince to heir adds heart.

It’s gorgeous to look at, with Rajasthan’s cultural legacy doing the heavy lifting. The dialogue pops with Gen Z slang and desi humor, though some lines (“situationship”) sound forced. Compared to Bridgerton, it gets the style right, but lacks the same emotional punch.

The flaws? The script relies on clichés — jealous exes, last-minute saves — that reek of 2000s Bollywood. The pacing sags in episodes four and five, with subplots — like Ayesha’s plotting — feeling more like filler.

Inclusivity, though welcome, is underbaked, with queer characters as sidekicks. The Indian Express bashes the “lukewarm” romance, and some users describe the kisses as “cringe.” The music can often overshadow the drama, and the 3.8/10 IMDb rating seems a little unfair for its charm. It’s not iconic, but it’s a positive step for desi rom-coms.

Pros and Cons: The Royal Decision

Pros

Searing Chemistry Bhumi and Ishaan’s banter and the race and sparks between them are binge-worthy.

What’s Wow: Zeenat, Sakshi and the ensemble cast – sone pe suhaaga.

New Hook: The monarch-tech clash seems fresh and now.

Stunning Images: Palaces, clothing and vibes are a buffet.

High Points: The strong themes of Sophia empowerment and Aviraaj growth which strikes you.

Cons

Clichéd Script: It’s held back by too many predictable tropes.

Spotty Pacing: Mid-season filler bogs fun down.

Flimsy Subplots: Queer arcs and side stories deserve more attention.

Five Words: The music drowns out the drama.

What’s Off: The romance should be hitting harder.

What’s the Buzz?

Fans are calling it “desi Bridgerton,” obsessing over Ishaan’s Maharaja glow and Bhumi’s boss vibes. “Sophia is the CEO we stan!” one user posted. Sakshi’s smoking a joint and “Vidhwa” line are meme-worthy, and Zeenat’s comeback has fans yelling. Critics are split. Hindustan Times rates it 3/5 stars, describing it as “fun, scandalous.” News18 applauds its “style and substance.” But The Indian Express (2/5 stars) deems the romance “flat,” and The Hindu takes to the script’s “predictability.”

Why The Royals Rules

The Royals: In a grim, bleak OTT world, something sparkly to look at and fantasize about. It’s not perfect — tighter writing could make it absolutely iconic — but its heart and its star power burst through. Bhumi’s Sophia breaks the mold of the desi heroine fierce and flawed. Ishaan’s Aviraaj is a prince for today, all swagger and soul. The cast is magical, from Zeenat’s diva energy to Sakshi’s sass.

To audiences in the world outside, it’s a breezy desi rom-com that’s fun and fresh, and demonstrates how Hindi OTT can do glamour with heart.

Binge It or Skip It?

Need a lighthearted, fun rom-com with a desi touch? The Royals are your shahi fix. It’s not perfect, but it’s fun, Rom-Zom-Comwich and Rajasthan-ey all the same. Ideal for a Netflix evening with snacks. Streaming now, it’s a royal bash you’ll want to crash.

Hot Tip: Do not skip the epic ball in episode five or Sakshi’s laugh-out-loud zingers!

Team Aviraaj, Sophia or here just for Zeenat’s slay? Tell us!

FAQs About The Royals

What are The Royals about?

It’s a Hindi rom-com series on Netflix about a playboy prince (Ishaan Khatter) and a startup CEO (Bhumi Pednekar) at odds over a debt-riddled palace, eventually falling in love in a din of drama and secrets.

How many episodes are there?

Eight episodes, each around 40 minutes, just right for a final weekend binge.

Who’s in the cast?

Ishaan Khatter, Bhumi Pednekar, Sakshi Tanwar, Zeenat Aman, Nora Fatehi, Dino Morea, Milind Soman, Chunky Panday, and others. It’s a star-studded royal court!

Is it worth watching?

If you’re a fan of rom-coms that have glitz as well as heart, the movie is a lot of fun. There are flights (clichés, pacing), but the chemistry and the vibes make it binge-worthy.

Where was it filmed?

Mostly in Jaipur and Mumbai, with Rajasthan’s palaces vying for the spotlight.