The Royals by Priyanka Ghose and Nupur Asthana is the latest Netflix series in the romance-comedy genre. Following the life of Prince Charming Aviraaj Singh (Ishaan Khatter) and the CEO of a hospitality startup, Sophia Shekhar (Bhumi Pednekar), the show has been one of the most anticipated releases of this year. And if you’ve seen Ishaan Khatter in The Perfect Couple, it’s fair to be excited about his new work. But does the royal prince-meets-CEO story keep you hooked? Read The Royals review and find out.

The story misses the mark

Sophia Shekhar (Bhumi Pednekar) is the CEO of WorkPotato and is looking to convert a royal palace into a working B&B for her company. After finalising the perfect place and then rejecting it, Sophia is desperate to find a new palace for her project. On the other hand, Morpur Palace, owned and operated by the recently turned Maharaja, Aviraaj Singh, is struggling to pay their monthly bills. Upon intervention to save the palace and the royal family from going broke, Aviraaj’s brother, Digvijay Singh (Vihaan Samat) strikes a deal with Sophia’s company. Cut to meet-cutes between Aviraaj and Sophia, them getting on each other’s nerves, and then finally showing some (lack of) chemistry. The story is something you know by heart.

While the look of the show is stunning – the royal palaces, a very hot, laid-back Aviraaj Singh, the dashing Digvijay and his equally cute twin sister, Divyaranjini (Kavya Trehan), all the royal paintings and jewellery, and the Rajasthani glam – it somehow lacks the feel. What could have been an insanely good story feels like a half-baked series with the supporting cast shining brighter than the main leads. Bhumi’s Sophia, who should have been a kickass woman entrepreneur, looks stiff and forced. Ishaan’s Aviraaj, too, looks charming but struggles to deliver a solid performance. And the lack of chemistry between the two will make the steamiest of scenes feel awkward and lukewarm.

So, if you just want something to binge-watch this week, you can give The Royals a shot. Don’t expect greatness out of it, though. The Royals is streaming now on Netflix.

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