The Royals is currently streaming on an OTT platform. It stars Ishaan Khatter, Bhumi Pednekar, Sumukhi Suresh, Kavya Trehan, Vihaan Samat and Lisa Mishra. During an exclusive interview with Filmfare, creator Rangita Pritish Nandy shared her take on the show and how the makers fixated on keeping the female gaze alive with the characters.

When asked about the female gaze that comes with a mostly-women crew, Rangita said, “If you look at the female gaze, it is there even the way that we have presented Ishaan and all the other men in the show. It’s not testosterone driven. Even though he is f***ing gorgeous on the show, there is so much heart. There’s so much good upbringing. There’s so much warmth. You want to fall in love with him. I think the credit here goes even to the men.”

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Director Nupur Asthana chimed in. Opening up about the characters, she said, “And we haven’t shied away from showing their vulnerabilities, their inner angst and all of that. They’re not testosterone-driven men. They all have gentler sides. There is a vulnerability we have explored coming from page to the screen.”

Director Priyanka Ghose said, “And I think the female gaze helps. I feel like we represent men better sometimes… You will see Udit Arora playing Kunaal. There is Vihaan Samat playing Digvijay and there is Dino Morea playing Salaudin. Milind Soman as Yuvanath Singh comes and goes. You have these really dashing men, who are not just picture perfect. There is so much depth in each of them. I think that is something we as women crave in our men, right? Chunky (Panday) sir once told me at shoot, ‘I’ve never played a character like this.'”

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