The Royals, which quickly gained attention after the release of its first season, is now undergoing a major creative makeover ahead of Season 2. According to recent reports, leading lady Bhumi Pednekar has exited the Netflix show as the makers plan to take the narrative away from its central romance and deeper into the complexities of the royal family drama.
Bhumi Pednekar opts out of The Royals season 2 as producers shift focus from romance to royal family drama
The series, which also marked the OTT debut of veteran actor Zeenat Aman, had ended its first season on an unresolved romantic note. However, sources suggest that the second season will now focus more on the larger royal universe and the family dynamics that audiences loved so much.
A source close to the production shared, “When you have romance, that’s the story that moves forward. When the show came out, what resonated (among the audience) was that the world of Ishaan (Khattar), Sakshi (Tanwar), Zeenat and The Royals, feels different. We left season one on an unresolved romance. There was no decision to take it forward. There was no fight with Bhumi. The makers wanted to take the story forward organically in the second season. Giving.”
Season one of The Royals featured Chunky Pandey, Vihaan Samat, Kavya Trehan among others. The lavish setting, royal backdrop, interpersonal conflicts and glamorous storytelling became one of the major attractions of the show.
Meanwhile, Bhumi Pednekar is said to be exploring projects that more closely match her intense and layered roles in recent years. According to sources, the actress is currently in talks for a courtroom drama backed by the producers Right. She is also reportedly set to star opposite Imran Khan in what insiders describe as her much-awaited comeback project for Netflix.
The source said, “The project is being kept under wraps for now and has been in the works for some time. They are also expected to begin work on Swamp 2, a project that more closely aligns with the intense space he has increasingly gravitated towards in recent years.”
Despite Bhumi’s reported exit, sources close to the production insist that The Royals season 2 will organically continue from the foundation established in the first season, albeit with a new narrative direction.
