Inside 'The Royals': Ishaan Khatter, Bhumi Pednekar, and Vihaan Samat on power, privilege, and palace secrets

There’s only one show that seems to be on everyone’s mind these days—The Royals. With its gorgeous sets, scandalous secrets, and the ever-complicated plot of characters born into royalty but grappling with financial debt, the series has found a fanbase in those who love drama and a twist around every corner.

Set in Rajasthan, The Royals offers a glimpse into the life of the Morpur royal family, who are now grappling with crumbling finances, outdated traditions, and the ever-looming question of legacy. And with a star-studded cast including Ishaan Khatter, Bhumi Pednekar, Vihaan Samat, Zeenat Aman, Dino Morea, Nora Fatehi, Chunky Pandey, and Sakshi Tanwar, there’s no dearth of glamour or talent.

Having got their fair taste of royalty, Khatter, Pednekar, and Samat talk about what drew them to their characters, memorable on-set moments, and stepping into this world.

Khatter plays Aviraaj Singh, the polo-loving heir to the Morpur throne—torn between maintaining appearances and confronting the emotional weight of his role. Reflecting on his experience, there’s an unforgettable scene that Khatter thinks about, “There are a few but the first one that comes to mind is a bit of a highlight reel image. It was when we got to play polo, and I was shirtless for 12 hours a day in the scorching Rajasthan sun. Our polo ponies really supported us through two days as we were playing with actual polo professionals. It was a bit surreal, an out-of-the-body experience.”

As for what drew him to the show, Khatter added, “It’s very entertaining, it’s glamorous, it’s sassy but at the same time, there is meat on the bones so to say, for every actor. There’s drama, there’s comedy, so it’s a little bit of everything for me. Aviraj was a very fascinating character for me to play because he’s one thing on the outside and quite another inside, as the show reveals.”

Bhumi Pednekar steps into the shoes of Sophia—a hospitality entrepreneur with a vision, whose presence shifts the dynamic of the royal household. Talking about what she loved the most, Pednekar says, “What excited me about my character Sophia and the show is that firstly, I love the genre. I love a good romance. I haven’t done much in the space, especially the kind of world that The Royals has created. It was an opportunity to break newer boundaries and challenge myself as an actor.”

Vihaan Samat plays Diggy, the younger royal who’s more invested in culinary creations than in carrying forward a legacy. With a role that balances lightness and responsibility, Samat found it refreshingly unique. “I loved the character when I read it. I loved the world when I read it. My character, Diggy is the younger son. He’s handling the palace and taking care of everything. He’s about to assume the mantle of being the leader of the family. It is a lot to play with. Things like this aren’t written. I got a chance to ride a horse, make food, and play a prince, so I had an amazing time.”

On his favourite memory from set, he added, “In a full field, with an audience, with horses being switched around but we don’t get switched out. We just have to keep going, it was lovely.”

When asked who among the cast deserved the most royal treatment during filming, Khatter doesn’t skip a beat, “One who deserved it the most would be Zeenat Ji.”

All images: Netflix

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