Movies review- The Royals Review - Royal Misfire

 

CAST:

Ishaan Khatter, Bhumi Pednekar, Sakshi Tanwar, Adinath Kothare, Zeenat Aman, Vihaan Samat, Kavya Trehan, Milind Soman, Chunky Pandey, Dino Morea, Jagdish Purohit The latest Indian series on OTT is called The Royals and it has an intriguing premise - an Indian royal family, grappling with financial woes, is compelled to convert their ancestral palace Motibaug into a luxury homestay under a hospitality venture named Royal B&B. This setup offers an ideal scenario for exploring themes of tradition clashing with modernity, class dynamics, cultural identity with a dash of modern-age start-up and entrepreneurial jargons. Visually, the series is a feast. The opulent production design captures the grandeur of royal life, with well-crafted sets and well-designed costumes that exude authenticity. At one point we see real-life rockstar designers Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla walk the ramp with the show's characters, so naturally this costume drama benefits from their supervision. Coming back to the setup, The Royals, features a juxtaposition of regal heritage with contemporary business challenges. These dual worlds are portrayed with aesthetic finesse, providing a rich backdrop for the narrative. But the writing just never rises to the occasion. Director Priyanka Ghose and Nupur Asthana's series seems to consistently falter in its storytelling. The writing lacks depth, failing to flesh out characters beyond surface-level traits. The biggest miss is the show's dialogue. In a bid to blend rom-com style exposition with new-world 'Shark Tank' lingo, the writers seem to get lost in clever dialogue lines that convey little meaning or emotions from the characters.  Lead actors Ishaan Khatter and Bhumi Pednekar, portraying Prince turned Maharaja Aviraaj Singh and CEO Sophia Kanmani Shekhar respectively, are therefore constrained by underdeveloped roles that do not allow them to showcase their full range. Khatter's charm is evident, but his character's arc feels rushed and unconvincing. You can't make sense of the fact that, why is the young Maharaja so keen on going shirtless at every given opportunity. Whether its horse riding or romance, Aviraaj can't seem to keep his 'lakhon ki shirts' on his body. Pednekar's portrayal of a driven entrepreneur lacks the nuance required to make her character relatable and compelling. She looks and dresses like a million bucks, but her character never quite displays the gravitas to anchor the viewers' feelings. It doesn't help that her character's company is called WorkPotato. Witticisms be damned. Also, we get that the lead pair is supposed to have an 'iffy' chemistry, with their chalk and cheese personalities, but Khatter and Pednekar never quite convince you that their characters are made for each other.