'The Royals' On Netflix Sparks Royal Rumble Over "Stereotypes, Narratives"

NDTV

2 days ago

New Delhi:
Certain storylines on 'The Royals' on Netflix have sparked a furore among some of India's erstwhile royal families, with one 'queen' commenting that the stereotype of rajas "soaked in whiskey and profligacy" and Ranis "in chiffons and pearls" continues to define them, but their contributions don't get too much attention. Heritage platform Royal Fables, which covers such families, also put out a post "on behalf of 565 princely states" objecting to the way royals are portrayed in the show.
The Royal Fables' post itself, however, also saw some backlash, with some on social media accusing it of being tone deaf and embarrassing.
'The Royals', starring Ishaan Khatter and Bhumi Pednekar, portrays a modern-day royal family struggling to maintain its crumbling palace, which is approached by the CEO of a hospitality startup, who proposes turning it into a luxury bed-and-breakfast. Sub-plots include the royal family's dysfunction and the sale of a valuable painting.
The Maharani of Baroda, Radhikaraje Gaekwad, put out a post on Instagram in which she highlighted that the erstwhile royals in India are still respected and play a key role in preserving the country's heritage.
"One would imagine the royals of India, a community abundantly chronicled, photographed, biographed, and today well positioned in a range of arenas from politics, hospitality, to magazine covers, would have a better chance of surviving an on screen portrayal such as the one in The Royals. Alas, that was not to be and such is our fate, since 1947..." she lamented.
"What began as a post-independence, politically motivated propaganda of stereotypical Rajas soaked in whiskey and profligacy and Ranis in chiffons and pearls, continues to define us," she added.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Royal Fables (@royal_fables)
Ms Gaekwad pointed out that India is one of the only countries where royals reigned for centuries without "any known instances of revolt or assassination".
"India has also seen some of their finest statesmen, diplomats, wildlife conservationists, bureaucrats, army officers, educationists, sportsmen, hoteliers and entrepreneurs emerge from royalty and today our palaces, forts and museums are perhaps the last few sentinels of India's undiluted, apolitical patronage and cultural history, all maintained in our personal capacity. Yet... our own country continues to view us - all 565 families and a few thousand nobility, with an odd mixture of awe, ignorance and distaste," she wrote.
Ms Gaekwad also said some of these families engage in charitable work, run some of India's best-known music festivals and museums, and sustain traditions and festivals like the Dussehra of Mysore and the Holi of Jaipur and Udaipur.
'False Narratives'
In an open letter to Netflix, Royal Fables said some "false narratives" were created by the show and that the erstwhile royals contribute to Indian culture while keeping their legacy alive, without much help.
"First off, royal families are not POOR. They are not selling their palaces or making money from bat poop! They are land owners and inheritors of a rich legacy that they are monetising," it said in the letter, adding, "Agreed, conserving palaces is a tough task. Our back breaks if we have to white wash our flats! They have to restore a 400-year-old, 100 rooms monument without losing the historic essence of the property. And no caring corporate or government helps them in the process (sic)."
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Royal Fables (@royal_fables)
The post, however, also attracted criticism from social media users, with one sneering, "Privileged offending the privileged is my most favourite genre."
"This is amongst the most hilariously embarrassing things I've ever read in my life. Please for your own sakes, delete it and pretend it never happened," another wrote.