10 May,2026 07:37 AM IST | Mumbai | Mohar Basu
Bhumi Satish Pednekkar
The Royals was greenlit for a second season, soon after the first dropped. But now mid-day has learnt that the leading lady, Bhumi Satish Pednekkar has left the show. The Netflix drama, which marked Zeenat Aman's OTT debut, is expected to take a different turn from where the first season ended.
A source close to the production says, "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."
Pednekkar has moved on from the series and is now prioritising darker, layered material. Sources say the actor is in talks for a courtroom drama backed by the makers of Haq (2025).
"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," adds the source.
Pednekkar, who faced criticism after the first instalment, admitted in her Sit With Hitlist interview on mid-day that the backlash deeply affected her. "The noise became so loud that I couldn't hear my own creative voice anymore. When you are told every day that you âdon't look like yourself,' it starts to seep in. I felt numb."
Sources close to the production maintain that the season two is being designed as a natural continuation of the world established in the first season, even if the central love story no longer remains the priority.
Bhumi Satish Pednekkar took a break to travel, read books, launch her mineral water brand, and even completed a course at Harvard University.
