Netflix’s The Royals arrives wrapped in velvet, flaunting a female lead and a supposed feminist pitch. But what lies beneath the couture is far from empowering. Bhumi Pednekar stars as Sofia Kanmani Shekhar — a CEO of India's biggest hospitality startup, ‘Work Potato’. On paper, she's the modern unicorn founder. In execution? She’s more Pinterest board than powerhouse.
There’s no evidence of her leadership, no glimpse of her strategy, not even a pretend PowerPoint. She’s impulsive, unprepared, and blames her team when things fall apart. If you’re a woman building a business with grit and grace, Sofia’s portrayal feels less like representation and more like a parody.
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Damsels, Distress & Designer Lehengas
Whenever life throws a curveball, Sofia responds not with resilience, but with tears, nostalgia, and oil-slicked hair tied in a tight braid — the desi visual code for a ‘fallen woman’. Her redemption? An ‘I love you’ from the man she once dismissed — played by Ishaan Khatter, the crown prince and occasional shirtless distraction.
Khatter does bring charm, but the chemistry? As flat as day-old soda. Despite steamy scenes, their dynamic is icy, and their romance, unconvincing. Why the royal falls for Sofia remains a bigger mystery than the crown jewels.
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Inclusivity? More Like Tokenism
The show clumsily inserts a lesbian subplot that never really unfolds. It's thrown in for clout, not character. Worse still is the fat-shaming of Keertana, played by Sumukhi Suresh. She's reduced to a clumsy, sidelined caricature, a tragic waste of both character potential and an actor who deserved more.
In contrast, slim assistant Nicky is smart, capable, and taken seriously, revealing the show’s internalised biases. After years of pushing for better representation, the Royals drag the conversation backwards.
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Wasted Legends, Wasted Time
Zeenat Aman appears regal, even with few lines. Milind Soman and Dino Morea? Decorative. Chunky Pandey? Confusingly placed. Sakshi Tanwar’s stoic Maharani and Nora Fatehi’s feisty princess hint at more intriguing stories, but the show has no time for them — too busy spotlighting Bhumi’s midriff and mistaking horse races for hustle.
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Yes, there’s a literal horse race between Sofia and the prince. And no, it’s not a metaphor. Just another example of the show’s absurd priorities.
At the end of eight exhausting episodes, The Royals becomes a shaadi fantasy masquerading as female agency. Sofia isn’t saved by strategy or growth, but by a man, a lehenga, and a designer tag.
Netflix promised us a queen. What we got was a mannequin in a palace. Watch it only if you enjoy rage-watching couture-draped chaos.
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