The director of The Royals, Priyanka Ghose, recently reacted to facing backlash over casting Ishaan Khatter and Bhumi Pednekar’s opposite each other, shirtless scenes of the former and veteran actress Zeenat Aman’s cameo in the web series. For those unversed, the show released on Netflix earlier this month and it received mixed reviews from critics and the audience.
Some of those who watched the show expressed concerns, ranging from the lead pair’s lack of chemistry to Zeenat Aman’s minimal presence on screen.
Responding to the backlash surrounding Ishaan and Bhumi’s on-screen chemistry, a point that has sparked considerable debate among fans, Priyanka told India Today, “With Bhumi’s casting by Netflix, I was actually very open to the idea of trying this new pairing. They are both such powerful actors, and I was excited to see them embody glamourous roles, which goes against both of their works so far. While Ishaan hasn’t got a chance to play a glamourous mainstream hero role, Bhumi has always been like the queen of heartland India.”
Adding that their chemistry looked organic, and never seemed weird, Priyanka stated, “If it didn’t work for some people, I will try better next time. But there are also people who enjoyed the show and their chemistry. It’s crazy how polarised the feedback has been.”
The director further reacted to Ishaan’s character Aviraaj’s shirtless scenes in the show. She said that they were part of the original script and felt natural, not excessive. The team, including Ishaan, was mindful of not overdoing it, and they had stylish outfits prepared but used them less.
“Ishaan is an intelligent actor, and he wouldn’t have agreed to take his shirt off at the drop of a hat. He is always conscious of that, and there were times when he even discussed if we were overdoing it. There was actually an amazing fashionable wardrobe for him, and we would have loved to use more clothes on him,” Priyanka said.
Further during the conversation, Priyanka revealed that Zeenat Aman’s role was always intended to be a special appearance. “It was never meant to be a full track. Whenever we have legendary superstars making cameo appearances, we crave more, and the same happened with Zeenat ma’am. As much as I would have loved, the script had only those many scenes,” he averred.
About The Royals
The story of The Royals revolves around the royal family of Morpur. It follows Aviraaj, aka Fizzy (Ishaan), who wants nothing to do with royal responsibilities. However, after his father’s passing, he learns that the family is financially struggling and is forced to step up as the new Maharaj of Morpur.
With the palace on the brink of collapse, the family partners with a start-up led by CEO Sophia (Bhumi), who proposes turning the ancestral home into a luxury ‘Royal B&B.’ As royalty and entrepreneurship collide, Aviraaj and Sophia struggle to navigate their clashing worlds, romance, and mounting responsibilities.
The show also stars Sakshi Tanwar, Milind Soman, Nora Fatehi, Vihaan Samat, Dino Morea and others.
