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The Royals: Netflix Hit or Royal Mess? Viewership Soars Amidst Fierce Criticism
Updated on: 15 May, 2025 12:48 PM IST |Amruta Karulkar
Ishaan Khattar and Bhumi Pednekar in The Royals
The recently released Netflix romantic comedy series, The Royals, starring Ishaan Khatter and Bhumi Pednekar, has become a curious case in the streaming world. Despite a barrage of poor reviews, the show has been a runaway success in terms of viewership since its debut last week, igniting conversations about what truly makes a series a hit.
The show, created by Rangita Pritish Nandy, isn`t just a global contender; it`s a regional powerhouse. It`s currently trending at the coveted number one spot in the top 10 non-English shows of the week on Netflix in seven countries, including India, Bangladesh, Maldives, Oman, Pakistan, UAE, and Mauritius. Furthermore, it has found a place in the top 10 non-English shows of the week in an additional 43 countries, spanning continents from Lebanon and Sri Lanka to Argentina, Australia, Brazil, and Colombia. In its opening week alone, The Royals garnered an impressive 3 million views.
To put this in perspective, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s grand period drama Heeramandi, released in May of last year, achieved 4.5 million views in its first week. Another notable 2024 release, Anubhav Sinha’s IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, recorded a strong opening with 4.1 million views. As the 2025 web series race heats up, The Royals is currently leading, surpassing Vikramaditya Motwane’s Black Warrant, which opened with 2.3 million views, and this year’s Dabba Cartel, which debuted with 1.8 million views. The Royals also boasts a recorded watch time of 17 million hours, with an average runtime of 5 hours and 57 minutes per viewer.
Also Read: The Royals: Why The Internet is Loving Netflix`s Latest Royally Chaotic Romance
Set in the fictional town of Morpur, the series has been widely panned by reviewers. The show`s exotic locales, over-the-top costumes, and somewhat clumsy storyline have not only drawn critical ire but have also irked some real-life royals. Anshu Khanna, founder of The Royal Fables, a platform dedicated to showcasing the craft and heritage of Princely India, penned a detailed letter to Netflix, posted on Instagram. In it, she outlined several ways the show allegedly casts Indian royals in a poor light, citing issues with the "portrayal of women and widows, extravagant attires, to name a few".
Khanna expressed her disappointment, stating, “Anything on royalty is of interest to us, and I was excited to watch the show. But after viewing the entire series, I found nothing unique in the story. There’s no depth.” She believes no significant research was conducted for the show. “It portrays stereotypes we need to break. For instance, it showcases decadent people, who don’t need to work for a living, playing polo. And then, not knowing what to do with their palaces that are falling apart.”
Also Read: 5 Binge-Worthy Series to Watch If You Loved The Royals
The portrayal of women in The Royals particularly troubled Khanna. “The women characters are seen as mindless creatures, sitting around, wearing a lot of jewellery. In reality, royals wear delicate diamonds and floral chiffons. The show has the women wearing heavy jewellery sets and organza and linen apparel.” She emphasised that Indian royalty today are far more dynamic, with individuals involved as "artists, politicians, running schools, and more”.
Addressing the argument that the show is a work of fiction, Khanna countered, “Even if a show is fictionalised, the portrayal needs to be accurate. If you are making a show on Gandhi, for example, you can’t show him in a discotheque. You need to get the context right.” She added, “The portrayal of Indian royals on the show is trivial and unreal. There are many different themes to set a romance in.”
Khanna also noted the significant lifestyle shifts among Indian royalty over the past two decades. “Villages have become cities, and many royals have collaborated with hotels and turned palaces into heritage homestays. Most royals stay in the palaces while entertaining guests. So the show doesn’t bring anything new to the table.” She concluded, “I felt bad to see royals showcased as nincompoops and wanted to speak up. I don’t have any intentions to sue anyone.”
The Royal Fables` Instagram post further elaborated, stating they felt an "urge to reach out to you on behalf of the 565 princely states of India who were portrayed fairly sweepingly in your show." They pointed out alleged false narratives, including the financial status of royal families (“Royal families are not poor. They are not selling their palaces or making money from bat poop!”) and inaccuracies in depicted transactions, such as gifting a multi-crore Ravi Varma painting for a small homestay venture. They also criticised the series for glorifying royals as idle, asserting, "The present-day royals are educated and employed citizens... They are not decadent, feudal lords and ladies anymore."
Also Read: Is Ishaan Khatter Dating Malaysian Model Chandni Bainz? Here`s What We Know
The Royals, with its star-studded cast including Sakshi Tanwar, Zeenat Aman, Nora Fatehi, Milind Soman, Dino Morea, and Chunky Panday, continues to dominate Netflix charts, leaving audiences and critics divided on its merits and impact.
Riding High on Streaming Charts
From day one, The Royals has impressively topped streaming charts. The series quickly secured the third spot on Netflix’s prestigious weekly ranking of the top 10 non-English shows globally. This achievement saw it surpass popular international titles like the Korean sensation Weak Hero and the Israeli show Bad Boy. It trailed only behind Asterix & Obelix: The Big Fight and Eternaut.The show, created by Rangita Pritish Nandy, isn`t just a global contender; it`s a regional powerhouse. It`s currently trending at the coveted number one spot in the top 10 non-English shows of the week on Netflix in seven countries, including India, Bangladesh, Maldives, Oman, Pakistan, UAE, and Mauritius. Furthermore, it has found a place in the top 10 non-English shows of the week in an additional 43 countries, spanning continents from Lebanon and Sri Lanka to Argentina, Australia, Brazil, and Colombia. In its opening week alone, The Royals garnered an impressive 3 million views.
To put this in perspective, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s grand period drama Heeramandi, released in May of last year, achieved 4.5 million views in its first week. Another notable 2024 release, Anubhav Sinha’s IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, recorded a strong opening with 4.1 million views. As the 2025 web series race heats up, The Royals is currently leading, surpassing Vikramaditya Motwane’s Black Warrant, which opened with 2.3 million views, and this year’s Dabba Cartel, which debuted with 1.8 million views. The Royals also boasts a recorded watch time of 17 million hours, with an average runtime of 5 hours and 57 minutes per viewer.
Also Read: The Royals: Why The Internet is Loving Netflix`s Latest Royally Chaotic Romance
Critical Reception vs. Audience Appeal
Despite its stellar viewership numbers, The Royals has faced a harsh critical landscape, holding a mere 33% score on Rotten Tomatoes. A part of SCREEN’s review of the show read, “The Royals’ needed sharper, felt writing. When a character exhorts a bunch of influencers, ‘do ‘Gram the hell out of us’, it says more about the intention — and the potential audience — of the series than anything else.”Set in the fictional town of Morpur, the series has been widely panned by reviewers. The show`s exotic locales, over-the-top costumes, and somewhat clumsy storyline have not only drawn critical ire but have also irked some real-life royals. Anshu Khanna, founder of The Royal Fables, a platform dedicated to showcasing the craft and heritage of Princely India, penned a detailed letter to Netflix, posted on Instagram. In it, she outlined several ways the show allegedly casts Indian royals in a poor light, citing issues with the "portrayal of women and widows, extravagant attires, to name a few".
Khanna expressed her disappointment, stating, “Anything on royalty is of interest to us, and I was excited to watch the show. But after viewing the entire series, I found nothing unique in the story. There’s no depth.” She believes no significant research was conducted for the show. “It portrays stereotypes we need to break. For instance, it showcases decadent people, who don’t need to work for a living, playing polo. And then, not knowing what to do with their palaces that are falling apart.”
Also Read: 5 Binge-Worthy Series to Watch If You Loved The Royals
The portrayal of women in The Royals particularly troubled Khanna. “The women characters are seen as mindless creatures, sitting around, wearing a lot of jewellery. In reality, royals wear delicate diamonds and floral chiffons. The show has the women wearing heavy jewellery sets and organza and linen apparel.” She emphasised that Indian royalty today are far more dynamic, with individuals involved as "artists, politicians, running schools, and more”.
Addressing the argument that the show is a work of fiction, Khanna countered, “Even if a show is fictionalised, the portrayal needs to be accurate. If you are making a show on Gandhi, for example, you can’t show him in a discotheque. You need to get the context right.” She added, “The portrayal of Indian royals on the show is trivial and unreal. There are many different themes to set a romance in.”
Khanna also noted the significant lifestyle shifts among Indian royalty over the past two decades. “Villages have become cities, and many royals have collaborated with hotels and turned palaces into heritage homestays. Most royals stay in the palaces while entertaining guests. So the show doesn’t bring anything new to the table.” She concluded, “I felt bad to see royals showcased as nincompoops and wanted to speak up. I don’t have any intentions to sue anyone.”
The Royal Fables` Instagram post further elaborated, stating they felt an "urge to reach out to you on behalf of the 565 princely states of India who were portrayed fairly sweepingly in your show." They pointed out alleged false narratives, including the financial status of royal families (“Royal families are not poor. They are not selling their palaces or making money from bat poop!”) and inaccuracies in depicted transactions, such as gifting a multi-crore Ravi Varma painting for a small homestay venture. They also criticised the series for glorifying royals as idle, asserting, "The present-day royals are educated and employed citizens... They are not decadent, feudal lords and ladies anymore."
Also Read: Is Ishaan Khatter Dating Malaysian Model Chandni Bainz? Here`s What We Know
The Internet Weighs In
The Royal Fables` critique, however, sparked a different kind of debate online. Many internet users found the concerns "tone deaf." Comments on the Instagram post included, “I felt second hand embarrassment reading this,” and “Touch some grass, maharani.” One user sarcastically remarked, “Oh no... a fictitious netflix movie didn`t portray some made up royals authentically :( oh noooooo.” Another pointed out, “Honestly, cry me a river. Of all the things to pick apart, this is the hill to die on? In 2025? Awfully fuedalistic about their image now, aren`t they?”The Royals, with its star-studded cast including Sakshi Tanwar, Zeenat Aman, Nora Fatehi, Milind Soman, Dino Morea, and Chunky Panday, continues to dominate Netflix charts, leaving audiences and critics divided on its merits and impact.
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