The Royals Joke on Netflix India-h!

If you want to research cliches and how they can ruin potentially good content, then you must watch Indian web series and content on OTTs. And what is wrong with a writer's interpretation of an independent, strong-headed career career-oriented woman? How can you be so lopsided while sketching such a character? White always has to be wicked and askew, when it could have become better inspirational, but all the young minds that watch and follow them. Why the cliche?? 

Welcome to "The Royals, a new web series on Netflix that could be best labelled as drama/ unintended comedy, oops, no joke. 

A joke on Indian Royalty, emotionally bankrupt, now struggling with financial bankruptcy that is not due to privy-purse but an irresponsible lifestyle and even the irresponsible will of a highly irresponsible king. Just cause you have hired an actor, who is less of an actor but a poster boy of advertising, doesn't make it right. 

What is wrong with Bollywood and its stereotypical casting? YouTube, Instagram or whatever media that you may see, you may not see the actors, but you'll see Second or third copies of the Western lifestyle, actors, influencers and the ilk, earning their names and fames by doing Desi roles but putting up an Angelina Jolie facade in real life. 

And what is wrong with all OTT trying to force Lgbt content unceremoniously, this respect fully and shamelessly? There is no depth, no remise, but just using the angle to make a storyline. Okay, the maharaja was gay, his daughter is bisexual, and his wife fickle-minded, hovering from maturity to adultery with the change in her style. How convenient. It is like old Hindi films where the good girl wears a sari and the girl wearing pants is certainly a vamp. Dude, the Devices have become sharper than your writing. 

Why is Bhumi Pednekar getting all the hate when her character, or for that matter, the character of any independent Indian woman, is written like a cliche in all the series or dramas that you see online?  She is indeed on a self suicide mission with films like mere husband ki biwi, which is another Study in cliché management of Bollywood. So much emphasis is given on the clothes, designer clothes, always airbrushed make-up, high-end jewellery, and blow-dried hair that the makers forget to add any depth to her character. 

And it is not just her, almost every character you will find is dressed in Great fineries, pieces of jewellery and an invisible stylist, whether it is the lead actors or their colleagues, the shows these days, unfortunately less content/ substance but more show off. Coming back to Bhumi Pednekar, it is not about her poorly reflecting surgeries, on her wanna be act, but casting flaw when she tries hard to fit in, yet doesn't. 

Netflix and Amazon Prime are indeed bringing opulence on the screen, but what about characters, storylines and content that people can remember for good? Why does Indian content look more like a caricature these days? 

All I can say such stories and such content are nothing but a bad influence that aims at creating more cliches and borrowed personalities. 

The best thing about the series is Ishaan Khattar, no doubt, and it looks like the series is made to make all her ex-girlfriends feel jealous. Another actor, let me tell you, the actor who makes a show primarily interesting is Vihan Samat playing Digvijay Singh. Unfortunately, not much depth is given to his character when it could have been. Casting Yashaswini as his love interest wearing oxidised pieces was another bad idea, and even the styling was. I even like the princess character. It was also refreshing to see Zeenat Aman on screen, the reason why I asked her if she's making a comeback years ago when I first spoke to her. Udit Arora also does a good job in his role and fits the bill. 

Chunky Pandey was again a misfit, so was Dino Morea, whose charm was completely wasted inferior role like salad. The makers of the show were really obsessed with food that they funnily named their characters- Fizzy, pickle, salad, or is it different, scared to say not all. 

Jokes apart, the series looks less like a drama and more like a commercial advertisement sewn together in 8 long episodes that again end in another cliche, hinting at season two. I would say Bring it on. Sans cliches. 

There may not be any Force Majeure applicable to protect the audience's interest, and mindless promotions may pull them to watch, download, but will it promise any loyalty? Well, it might not be unfair to say- it doesn't invoke any shock or awe either. But you never know, if there is a season two and a better season.