Udit Arora reacts to criticism against The Royals, calls Bhumi Pednekar getting trolled ‘unfortunate'

Hindustan Times

02-06-2025

Netflix's 2025 romantic comedy-drama series The Royals, starring Ishaan Khatter and Bhumi Pednekar, has faced significant backlash from both Indian royal families and viewers. Beyond the royal critique, the series received mixed to negative reactions from audiences. While some praised the show's aesthetics and Ishaan's performance, many criticised the storyline for being weak and the characters for lacking depth. Bhumi Pednekar's portrayal, in particular, was labelled as "unbearable" by some viewers. (Also Read: The Royals season 2 announced, creator Rangita Pritish Nandy says they listened to both 'good and ugly' feedback)
Now, in an exclusive conversation with Hindustan Times, Udit Arora, who essayed the role of Kunal, Bhumi's business partner in the series, reacted to the controversy surrounding the series and also defended Bhumi, who has faced significant trolling on social media for her performance.
Recently, Baroda's Maharani Radhikaraje Gaekwad slammed the portrayal of royal families in the show, and before this, heritage platform Royal Fables called out Netflix for misinterpreting modern-day royals in the series. Reacting to the backlash and criticism, Udit said, "We never said it's based on a true story, so I don't know who is having a problem with what. Honestly, I have not followed any news on that, so I have no idea what they are comparing it to and what aspect they are taking from the show and saying it's wrong. Because it's a fictional show at the end of the day and it's there for entertainment purpose. It's a satire on the lives of the royal families. So I think it's pretty clear so I don't know what's the problem with that actually."
A post shared by Udit Arora (@justudit)
Udit spoke about the harsh criticism Bhumi had to go through for her performance and said, "Every artiste on the set goes out with the attention of doing something good, and we give our best. People may like or dislike whatever they want, there's no hold on that. As much as we are exposing ourselves to the praise, we are also exposing ourselves to the criticism. It has also gone to another level, being behind the screen and typing what you like. So I have my own reservations on that. She has given her heart and soul to the project and is giving her 100%, being there with everyone. I think she is a brilliant actor. So people can like or dislike whatever they want, it's upto them."
When asked if he found the harsh comments against Bhumi unfair, keeping in mind that actors have become easy targets for trolls on social media, Udit said, "In the age of social media, people can do whatever they want. I don't know who these people are, and they need to grow up and have a life, honestly. It's just very unfortunate. But at the end of the day, I think it should not be taken too seriously because they are who they are, you can't give too much importance to their opinions. They are just noise. So I think every actor needs to focus on what they are doing, and even if there's a bump on the road, it's absolutely fine, you can move ahead. As a community, we need to support each other. As humans, we need to support and be kind to each other. So, hatred moves faster than love. So I think we need better support and love for everyone."
Directed by Priyanka Ghose and Nupur Asthana and written by Neha Veena Sharma, the series follows the story of a financially struggling royal family in modern-day India, whose fortunes take an unexpected turn when the heir teams up with a hospitality entrepreneur to revive their ancestral palace as a luxury resort. The romantic comedy-drama, also starring Zeenat Aman, Sakshi Tanwar, Nora Fatehi, Vihaan Samat, Dino Morea, and Milind Soman, has now been renewed for a second season despite the criticism.