The Royals Review: A Modern Fairytale of Ambition, Romance, And Royal TraditionS

The Royals is a captivating new Hindi-language romantic drama series on Netflix that combines modern romance with the luxury of royal life. The Royals premiered on May 9, 2025, and follows the life of Sophia Shekhar, a tough CEO struggling to save her luxury startup business, and Prince Aviraaj Singh, a charming but irresponsible royal prince. 

Their lives, filled with ambition, tradition, and conflicting values, converge when they collaborate to revive the fortunes of the embattled royal family. In the complicated dynamics of love, business, and family duty, the show explores themes of self-discovery, power, and tension between old-world traditions and new-world aspirations. The Royals is a must-watch among the recent OTT releases, offering a fresh and engaging take on the genre.

A Royal Collision: Love, Power, and Ambition

In The Royals, royalty and corporate worlds intersect in a romance whirlwind within the majestic palace of Morpur. Sophia Shekhar, the astute and ambitious CEO, is threatened with losing her company to ruthless investors. 

Prince Aviraaj Singh, on the other hand, is a fun-loving royal heir who stands at the nexus of a dynasty that's crumbling gradually. When these two disparate worlds collide, they are drawn into an unwilling alliance to preserve the royal legacy as well as Sophia's business vision.

As their bond grows stronger, they are confronted with the burden of tradition, royal duties, and their own ambitions. Against the backdrop of the glamour and glitz of palace life, the novel unwinds a thrilling tale of self-discovery, where love, ambition, and power entwine, pushing the boundaries of both their hearts and minds.

Crown & Compromise: A Review of The Royals on Netflix

Netflix's The Royals has the assurance of glamour, romance, and drama—and largely delivers. Based on a story by Rangita and Ishita Pritish Nandy, this Hindi-language series melds fairy-tale grandeur with hard-hitting real-world challenges in a tale that is as much about ambition in the modern world as it is about royal politics of yore.

It is set in an imaginary city of Morpur, The Royals, the narrative is of Sophia Shekhar (Bhumi Pednekar), a rising star CEO of a high-end homestay firm, and Prince Aviraaj Singh (Ishaan Khatter), the handsome reluctant prince of a crumbling royal palace. 

When Sophia's company faces a hostile takeover offer, and Aviraaj's royal heritage on the brink of collapse, they join hands in an unlikely partnership. What follows is a drama of business woes, self-reinvention, and reluctant romance that slowly acquires a life of its own.

The Performances: Grace Meets Grit

Bhumi Pednekar delivers a grounded yet explosive performance as Sophia, a woman consecrated to occupy male terrain of boardrooms and palace corridors with equal facility. Ishaan Khatter is endearing and vulnerable as Aviraaj, although his own character sometimes lags behind the narrative gravity that Sophia's tale commands.

The supporting actors are full of veterans and new entrants: Sakshi Tanwar and Zeenat Aman bring gravitas, while Dino Morea and Milind Soman add charisma. Nora Fatehi adds flair but is not being used enough. The pick is Vihaan Samat and Sumukhi Suresh, who bring humor without taking away from the emotional atmosphere.
 

Visuals & Direction: Regal, but Repetitive

Visually, The Royals is lavish. Set design is resplendent with regal structures, antique cars, and candle-lit corridors. Costume design is impeccable, with rich Indian attire making each frame Instagram-worthy.

Priyanka Ghose and Nupur Asthana's direction maintains the show's pace quick, though some mid-season episodes dip into melodrama and overuse clichéd tropes. There is a attempt to bring the "royalty meets commoner" trope into the present, but at times the show appears to be torn between fairytale magic and corporate reality.

Writing & Dialogue: Hit-or-Miss

Neha Veena Sharma's script is punctuated with saucy one-liners and sappy monologues but also burdened with clichéd romantic scenarios and some hammer-in-your-face lines. The show shines brightest in the scenes where they juxtapose Sophia's business acumen with the ancient, patriarchal protocol of palace politics.

Music & Tone: A Mixed Playlist

The music score switches between light romantic ballads and stately instrumentals, which work well to encapsulate the duality of the show. Still, sometimes the score is overly mawkish, spoon-feeding the emotional moments instead of allowing the actors to breathe.

Conclusion

The Royals is not revolutionary, but it’s an entertaining entry in the growing wave of Indian content on global streaming platforms. It’s the kind of show you can binge in a weekend—engaging enough to hook you, but not emotionally taxing.

If you’re a fan of new OTT releases that offer escapist romance wrapped in grandeur, The Royals is worth a watch. Just don’t expect a narrative crown jewel—this one’s more polished zircon than pure diamond.