Why Netflix’s The Royals fails to impress despite star cast and lavish setting

Netflix India’s latest original The Royals promised grandeur, intrigue and slow-burn romance set against the crumbling majesty of a fictional Rajasthani palace. What it delivered instead, according to early viewers, was an underwhelming, meandering eight-episode affair packed with clichés, clunky dialogue and a surprising lack of emotional heft.

Audiences reject Bhumi Pednekar and Ishaan Khatter starrer ‘The Royals’ for being all palace, no plot

Created by Ishita Pritish Nandy and Rangita Pritish Nandy, the series stars Ishaan Khatter and Bhumi Pednekar as clashing leads—the reluctant royal Aviraaj and ambitious hospitality entrepreneur Sophia. Their will-they-won’t-they arc is meant to drive the plot, but audiences are largely unconvinced. The issue? Viewers say the pair have ‘zero chemistry’, and even the most glamorous settings can’t distract from the show’s paper-thin script. The premise isn’t without promise. The Morpur royal family, mired in debt, is considering turning their palace into a luxury homestay. The narrative attempts to explore the conflict between legacy and modernisation, tradition and capitalism. But any potential is buried under clunky exposition, inconsistent tone, and dialogue that borders on parody.

Several viewers took to X (formerly Twitter) to vent their frustration. One user wrote, “Bhumi and Ishaan have zero chemistry, and the royal women look more like gujju bens than Rajput matriarchs. Bore!” Another was more scathing: “Who greenlights garbage like The Royals? Netflix India’s entire content team should be sacked.”

Despite its A-list cast, including Sakshi Tanwar and Zeenat Aman, The Royals struggles to find its footing. The visuals are there—leheriya headgear, ornate palaces, regal titles like hukum and maharaja—but it all feels like window dressing. The Royals is all pomp and no punch—another forgettable entry in Netflix India’s long list of misfires. With Netflix viewers becoming increasingly vocal about the quality of homegrown content, The Royals stands as yet another reminder that no amount of costume drama can mask the absence of solid storytelling.