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India Today
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
All smoke, no screen time: How The Royals wasted Zeenat Aman's comeback
When a name like Zeenat Aman is associated with a project, expectations soar automatically. Synonymous with glamour and grace in the 70s, her legacy continues to resonate with generations of fans. Amid high expectations from fans to see her back on the screen, that wish came true with the icon's appearance in Netflix's 'The Royals'. While the show flaunts glossy visuals and a sprawling ensemble, its handling of Zeenat Aman's character leaves much to be desired, ultimately, a missed opportunity that lingers with a time when seasoned actors are finally being given layered, powerful roles on streaming platforms, it's heartbreaking to see an icon like her wasted in such a forgettable part. While the actor was ready to carry the weight of her own crown, it looks like the script simply refused to let the show starring Bhumi Pednekar and Ishaan Khatter promised a compelling blend of regality, power play, and nostalgia, the return of 1970s screen siren Zeenat Aman turned those high expectations to dust. Her role was not just underutilised, it was unforgivably squandered. advertisement View this post on Instagram A post shared by Netflix India (@netflix_in)The veteran actor as Maji Sahiba, the matriarch of the royal family, is caught in the storm of palace politics and modern-day scandals. Given her legendary aura and the character's potential to anchor emotional gravitas and intrigue, Maji Sahiba should have been the show's backbone. Instead, Aman is reduced to a glorified cameo, where she is mostly seen smoking weed, delivering cryptic one-liners or sitting stoically with her presence in the narrative largely the successful comebacks of her contemporaries, expectations were naturally high. Neetu Kapoor made a notable return with Saif Ali Khan's 'Love Aaj Kal' (2009), followed by her acclaimed performance in 'Do Dooni Chaar' (2010) alongside Rishi Kapoor, which was widely praised given her stellar performance. Similarly, Farida Jalal's comeback in 'Heeramandi' earned widespread who can forget Sharmila Tagore's graceful return in 'Gulmohar', a role that helped the show bag several awards? With such strong returns by yesteryear icons, fans continue to hope that these legends will choose scripts that truly do justice to their legacy. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Netflix India (@netflix_in)Zeenat Aman's casting in 'The Royals' looked like a strategic move to bring prestige and buzz to the series rather than a genuine creative decision. Adding her name to the celeb roll call in the series, the makers may have hoped to add more weightage to the story, but it failed to match up to the expectations of the premise of the series was ripe for a strong matriarchal figure to anchor the emotional and political tensions. Zeenat could have portrayed a queen torn between loyalty to tradition and the moral ambiguity of her family's secrets. However, none of it happened. Instead, her character was just reduced to ornamental one of the scenes where the entire royal clan crashes and their palace is being sealed, Zeenat, being the head where her commanding presence could have deepened the show's impact, is curiously sidelined. She is sitting in her room, smoking weed and not ready to leave her palace. Her potential as a formidable player on the royal chessboard remains mostly we can clearly say that despite decades of cinematic brilliance, from 'Satyam Shivam Sundaram' to 'Don', the legendary actor is offered minimal dialogue and scant screen Watch
Indian Express
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Ranbir Kapoor's sister Riddhima Kapoor Sahni confirms her Bollywood debut, is shooting with mom Neetu Kapoor
Riddhima Kapoor Sahni, who belongs to the influential Kapoors of Bollywood, is finally going to follow in the footsteps of her family. She definitely has the right amount of legacy backing her, considering she will be a fourth-generation actor from the Kapoor family. Both her parents, Neetu Kapoor and the late Rishi Kapoor, were stalwarts in their own sense, and her brother, Ranbir Kapoor, is one of the defining actors of this generation. While the project is completely under wraps, Riddhima did mention a few details about the location of the shoot, saying, 'Yes, I am filming a movie in the hills, and all I can say is that we are shooting here till June.' Her mother Neetu Kapoor's presence during the shooting has also sparked rumours about her being a part of the film. Comedian and actor Kapil Sharma has also been speculated to join the cast alongside the Do Dooni Chaar actor, but nothing has been confirmed as of yet. According to Riddhima, her mother is there at the set and is 'enjoying the process thoroughly'. Riddhima, who is the creative director of her own jewellery brand called 'R Jewellery', shot to fame after her stint on the reality TV show The Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives. The Netflix show featured Neelam Kothari, Maheep Kapoor, Bhavna Pandey, Seema Khan and Gauri Khan. Riddhima revealed that she had no plans of starring in movies and said, 'I didn't plan for this. When I was approached, I just said yes. I heard the script and loved it.' While she has rather big shoes to fill, Riddhima has shared that her family are extremely supportive of this move and are standing with her throughout it all. 'They are so excited. I keep sending them snippets of the scene, and yes, I'm fully supportive – the best part is Mom and I staying together and rehearsing our lines every day. Samara (daughter) is going to visit me once her school breaks for summer holidays.' Earlier, Neetu Kapoor had opened up on why Riddhima chose to get married and not pursue a career in acting. 'She is a wonderfully talented and beautiful girl. She's a fabulous mimic and would have given any actress a run for her money. But even as a child, she knew how much it would upset her father if she decided to become an actress. He doesn't think badly of actresses or feel that girls shouldn't work in movies. But he's zealously overprotective of his wife and children. Riddhima understood her father well. For the sake of his peace of mind, she never attempted to pursue acting as a career. Instead she said, 'I want to design clothes,' and Bob (Rishi) happily sent her to London to study,' Neetu had shared in Rishi's memoirs Khullam Khulla.
