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Cast: Ishaan Khatter, Bhumi Pednekar, Sakshi Tanwar, Zeenat Aman, Nora Fatehi, Vihaan Samat, Kavya Trehan, Milind Soman
Creator: Rangita Pritish Nandy
Director: Priyanka Ghose, Nupur Asthana
Streaming On: Netflix
Language: Hindi
Runtime: 8 episodes of 40 – 45 minutes each
Generally, what is the basic structure of a Royal story? Too many heirs, too many secrets, a kingdom that has no money and is bankrupt, and probably a murder that creates all the mystery. However, Ishan Khatter and Bhumi Pednekar’s drama The Royals is fresh, quirky, different, modern, and full of sass, thanks to Zeenat Aman and Dino Morea!
The drama series is all about glam and glitter in that part of society where the commoners are not so common. But while most of the stories destroy this royalty meets a commoner story, Rangita & Ishita Pritish Nandy, creators of the show make sure that the story isn’t compromised here!
But is the story a crown with studded diamonds? Well, I am not sure about that. Honestly, I was not sure how to watch this, even after nothing happened in the first two episodes! But since I had to review it, I had to gather courage and move to the third episode, and the entertainment Gods were happy with me that I did not surrender because they blessed me with a decent show to watch thereafter!
The Royals Review: What’s It About:
So what started as wild Tinder Date stuff with two people, not knowing each other but enjoying the one-night stand, moves gears to a worthy storyline with all of us invested in it. The story starts late, but it sets the premise clearly by the third episode. Ishaan Khatter is the heir to the throne of Morpur, although he is not ready to take the responsibility because he thinks his father was a loner and had to escape the family pressure, for he could not bear the pressure of being a Raja.
While the will of the Maharaja is being heard, it is being told that a substantial amount is also with Maurice. However, no one knows who Maurice is. Maharani, played by Sakshi Tanwar, and her mother-in-law refuse to acknowledge any information about Maurice and the three children – Aviraaj, Digvijay, and Divyaranjini, played by Ishaan Khatter, Vihan Samat, and Kavya Trehan are left in confusion!
Cut to the other side of this Royal world is Bhumi Pednekar, CEO of a company called WorkPotato, clearly an antithesis of Couch Potato. So Sophia Kanmani Shekhar is a go-getter. She has a vision of bringing the Royals and Commoners closer through a unique business model Royal B&B where one can lounge and dine with the royalties. She chooses Motibagh Mahal, the ancestral property of the Maharaja of Morpur, for her project and thus starts the drama when she finds her one-night stand in this Mahal in his full glory – the Maharaja of Morpur!
What follows next is a story of love, passion, drama, and secrets, with a bit of women empowerment, stories about dreams, aspirations, desire, and a lot more. All of this is wrapped in the right mix of drama, laughter, and emotion, but only after the third episode. You will feel the urge to stop this show in the first two episodes, and if you want to watch something decent and a really good, Ishaan Khatter, trust me, bear those first two episodes!
The Royals Review: What Works:
The web series works in its entirety. However, it is your regular soap opera meets a royalty kind of stuff where you do not need to think and connect much. There is a definitive story, and all you need to do is stay with it. The music by Ruuh & Joh, Harsh Upadhyay, Kanishk Seth, and the background music by Aditya & Nayanthara Bhatkal help you stay connected with the storyline!
The Royals Review: Star Performance:
Sakshi Tanwar and Zeenat Aman rule this royalty like boss ladies. Serving their panache to perfection in every single frame they arrive. I wish I could have seen more of Zeenat Aman and a little bit of her dancing, but I understand the age constraint. So, as much as I can see her in a web series, it is bliss! And man, what a charismatic woman she is, and the tremendous power she has to hold the screen despite that shaky hand and trembling voice!
Vihaan Samat as Rajkumar deserves a special mention. He nails the nervousness of a wannabe Chef while still having the clarity and confidence of a Royal. So much so that he prepares his elder brother for the coronation, clarifying his brother’s doubts about himself like a pro!
The supporting characters, Kavya Trehan, Sumukhi Suresh and Lisa Mishra hold the story strongly. Bhumi Pednekar knows how to act, which honestly is the saving grace because her transformation is a bit discomforting to look at for a continuous time frame! Also, she cannot dance and it is so obvious. Thanks to Ishaan Khatter who just keeps picking and dropping her in such dance sequences!
Coming to Ishaan Khatter, this boy is a charmer, but a charmer who knows how to charm with his act rather than his good body and good looks! Obviously, he has a stunning personality to die for, but he is an equally good actor, which is rare. His eyes emote, and there are very few in the industry who do that. Probably after Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Ranbir Kapoor comes an actor who can emote happiness, sorrow, grief, confusion, and anger all through his eyes! This is such a powerful weapon for Ishaan as an actor, and it works tremendously and at great lengths for this web series as well.
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The Royals Review: What Doesn’t Work:
The drama is not flawless and has glitches, but they might be over-ruled because they do not deconstruct the storylines. Some plot lines are unnecessary, and others are less explored, like the other two kids who do not get to be the King but have their dreams and aspirations; one is in the closet, and the other is living a secret life as a wannabe chef! But not much is explored on that end!
Milind Soman is an actor who makes the frame look so good, but only his frames have been used in the narrative as the dead father with deadlier secrets as a Maharaja! The web series is resolved in the blink of an end, just like cutting an umbilical cord.
The Royals Review: Last Words:
What makes this web series worth watching is the climax, which ends with a bigger revelation and makes the wait for the next season worthwhile. Moreover, not having a raja rani ki kahani with murders and deaths is such a relief! This is your typical Cinderella story, but here, Cinderella does not need a crown by accession; she goddamn buys the crown and wears it, ruling her own kingdom. However, this web series is glittering like gold, but if you have a taste for diamonds, this ain’t your cup of tea!
For more such reviews, stay tuned to Koimoi.
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