- Bhumi Pednekar has exited Netflix's The Royals ahead of season 2 production
- The Royals season 2 will focus more on family dynamics than Ishaan Khatter's romance
- Bhumi faced backlash for season 1, which affected her creative confidence
Bhumi Pednekar, who headlined the Netflix original The Royals alongside Ishaan Khatter, has exited the project, as per a Mid-Day report. Bhumi, who faced backlash for the first season, was supposed to return for season 2 when the first season ended and the second was greenlit.
As per the report, the show will take an unusual turn, focusing more on family dynamics than Ishaan's sparkling romantic life.
"When you do a romance, it is the story that leads. When the show came out, what resonated [with the audience] was the family—Ishaan [Khatter], Sakshi [Tanwar], Zeenat, and the world of The Royals—which feels different. We left season one at an unresolved romance. There was no decision to carry it forward. There was no fight with Bhumi. The makers are simply letting the story lead forward organically in the second season," Mid-Day quoted an insider as saying.
Pednekar, who faced criticism after the first installment, admitted in a Mid-Day interview that it impacted her badly. "The noise became so loud that I couldn't hear my own creative voice anymore. When you are told every day that you don't look like yourself, it starts to seep in. I felt numb," Bhumi said.
Bhumi is also reportedly focusing on other projects, as per the report.
"Bhumi is also set to feature opposite Imran Khan in what insiders describe as his long-awaited comeback film for Netflix. The project, currently under wraps, has been in development for some time. She is also expected to begin working on Daldal 2, a project that aligns more closely with the intense space she has increasingly gravitated towards in recent years," the source added.
Directed by Priyanka Ghose and Nupur Asthana, The Royals boasts an impressive ensemble cast including Zeenat Aman, Sakshi Tanwar, Nora Fatehi, Vihaan Samat, Dino Morea, and Milind Soman. The series premiered on Netflix on May 9, 2025.
The show delves into the flashy lifestyle of the Royals, who attempt to cling to their hollow vanity even at the expense of going bankrupt.
