Bhumi Pednekar and Khatter's romance plays out in a scandal-soaked world

There’s something deliciously voyeuristic about peeking into the gilded lives of kings, queens, and rakish royals — and The Royals, created by Rangita Pritish Nandy and Ishita Pritish Nandy, milks that fantasy.

- By Manjusha Radhakrishnan

At its heart is a steamy, scandal-laced romance between a perpetually shirtless King-apparent, Aviraaj Singh (Ishaan Khatter, giving royal abs real estate), and a trout-lipped, boardroom-boss CEO Sophia Kanmani Shekhar (Bhumi Pednekar, glammed up to the nines).

Together, they anchor a love story that’s straight out of a Barbara Cartland bodice-ripper — think palaces, passion, and plenty of lip locks.

If Shonda Rhimes’ Regency-era Bridgerton was transplanted among Rajasthan royalty, and Rege-Jean Page’s iconic “I burn for you” moment was culturally reimagined by Khatter, you’d land squarely in the scandal-soaked world of The Royals.

Khatter plays the prince as a classic man-child — equal parts brooding charm and smouldering stares — slowly realising he’s no longer the master of his heart (or his hormones). He carries the show on his sculpted shoulders with aplomb, injecting just enough gravitas to an otherwise indulgent soap opera.

IRRESISTIBLE GUILTY PLEASURE