Mumbai, May 10 — Actor Ishaan Khatter has shared his thoughts on the increasingly debated subject of celebrity entourages, noting that the choice to have a support team should rest entirely with the individual actor.
Khatter’s new web series, The Royals, offers a satirical look at the swelling expenses of actor entourages, a trend that often inflates production budgets. “No one person should have enough people to burden an entire setup. There's a good bit of tongue-in-cheek fun to have there,” Khatter said, describing the humour woven into the show’s narrative.
Recalling his own varied experiences on sets, the actor added, “I’ve worked on A Perfect Couple, where I was literally my own everything. In setups like these, we’re used to a lot of help. It can often be funny.” He noted that while he doesn’t take a manager to sets, he believes in blending in with the team rather than standing apart.
In The Royals, Khatter stars as Aviraaj Singh, a modern-day reluctant prince who joins forces with Sophia Shekhar, a startup CEO played by Bhumi Pednekar, to turn his family’s royal haveli into a luxurious bed and breakfast. The series pokes fun at royal and celebrity extravagance, including bloated entourages.
A standout moment from the show comes in episode two, when Khatter’s character critiques his brother’s large entourage, likening it to an election rally. Vihaan Samat, who plays the brother, responds with dry humour: “My staff handles the work here, which none of you can do.”
Samat, known for roles in CTRL and Mismatch, highlighted the show’s distinctive blend of cultural authenticity and humor. “There’s a mix of various shows that are already there, the time, the space, the characters, the context, the modernity, the Indian setting, but also mainly the comedic element,” he said. “Rather than dwell on dynastic critiques, we want viewers to laugh, relax, and enjoy.”
The Royals is the brainchild of Rangita and Ishita Pritish Nandy, and is co-directed by Priyanka Ghose and Nupur Asthana. The ensemble cast features prominent names including Zeenat Aman, Sakshi Tanwar, Nora Fatehi, Dino Morea, Milind Soman, Chunky Panday, Kavya Trehan, Sumukhi Suresh, Udit Arora, Lisa Mishra, and Luke Kenny.
As Khatter aptly summed up, “I'm not for or against [entourages], but definitely some discretion from the actor would be great.”
The Royals aims to strike that balance — sharp, self-aware, and distinctly Indian in its satire.
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