As Netflix’s The Royals is all set to gear up for the second season, Maharani Radhikaraje Gaekwad of Baroda slammed the false narrative shown in the series. While people are enjoying the portrayal of the Royal Indian families in the show, the people who actually gave up their lands and homes for the United India movement felt betrayed. And Radhikaraje beautifully explained why the series, which is globally loved, fails to show the real side of the Royal families and is only a nasty pun on their struggle, which no one ever thought about.
Radhikaraje Gaekwad slammed the false narrative showed in Ishaan Khatter’s, The Royals
The OTT giant Netflix gave a beautiful start to Ishaan Khatter and Bhumi Pednekar’s series, The Royals, which also features Sakshi Tanwar. While people are enjoying the pun, royal ladies dressed in gorgeous chiffons and pearls, the real royals are boiling as it is making fun of the sacrifices they made for the United India movement. The Maharani of Baroda, Radhikaraje, talked about the same in her long note on Instagram. She highlighted how not much is known about the 565 princely states, controlling over 40 per cent of Independent India, happily gave up their homes, lands and identities for a democratic India.
Quoting Sardar Patel, Radhikaraje revealed how it was a ‘bloodless revolution’. She called it an era of uncertainty for the Royal families as they gave up their century-old privileges and princely states, which were doing way better for the united India movement. However, the Indian Royals got another bolt when in 1971, the Indian government abolished the Privy Purse and the privileges.
Radhikaraje revealed that India is the only country with the highest royalties, and they also don’t represent just one caste or religion. They are a mix of Brahmins, Rajputs, Marathas, Sikhs, and Muslims. She added how India witnessed some top-notch hoteliers, wildlife conservationists, bureaucrats, army officers, and educationists emerge from royalties. She further stated they are maintaining their name and heritage in their own personal capacity without the help of government funding. A snippet from 7 page long Instagram post can be read as:
“Yet after all these decades, our own country continues to view us – all 565 families and a few thousand nobilities with an odd mixture of awe, ignorance, and distaste. The Real Royals in the meanwhile rolled up their sleeves and are running India’s best known music festivals, museums, hotels, even constituency and states, an impressive number being the ladies of the house — Gwalior, Jaipur, Bikaner and Kotah to name a few.”
Radhikaraje further highlighted how their family has been maintaining charitable hospitals, schools, and colleges set up once by their forefathers. She added that royalties have no privileges or official titles in society, still get the respect of their people and are referred to as ‘Bapji, Bapu, Daata, or Maa Saheb’.
Radhikaraje concluded her note by writing how young royals are also getting back to their roots. They have prestigious degrees from reputed universities across the seas, and yet they are wearing their turbans and working to make their heritage sustainable, relatable and accessible.
Read the entire Radhikaraje’s note here!
Radhikaraje beautifully explained the journey of Royal families, which no Indian screenplay, film or show ever thought about!
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