The Royals director Priyanka Ghose defends Bhumi Pednekar amid trolling: ‘I have seen her go through so much’

Following criticism of Bhumi Pednekar's performance in The Royals, director Priyanka Ghose praised her discipline and transformation.

Actor Bhumi Pednekar has been at the receiving end of the criticism after the release of Netflix show The Royals. The actor's performance has not really hit a mark with the audience. Now, the director of the show, Priyanka Ghose, has come out in defense of the actor praising her tenacity and "humongous transformation”. (Also read: The Royals director responds to criticism of show, Ishaan Khatter, Bhumi Pednekar's ‘absent’ chemistry: I'll try better)

Bhumi Pednekar in a still from Netflix's The Royals.

Priyanka defends Bhumi

In an interview with News 18, Priyanka said, "You will be treated like Goddesses, and you will also be ridiculed by trolls. All of the actors and creative stakeholders on this project were very well aware of what we were setting out to do. So, even with Bhumi, she has had an incredibly successful career so far. She’s always gotten a lot of love and also, sometimes a lot of criticism for whatever she’s done. I don’t think she allows it to affect her at all. That’s the beauty of working with actors who have been doing this for a long time."

Priyanka said that she has been privy to Bhumi's transformational journey and always admired her discipline and professionalism.

"I have seen that girl go through so much. From being an overweight girl to trying to get to this size, it’s very hard. We all aim to lose weight, but not all of us can do it. She’s so healthy and disciplined. Both Ishaan and Bhumi. I can’t get over how they would wake up before us to hit the gym, get ready, and get into hair and makeup. Bhumi would already be on set even before the generator van had been switched on," the director adds.

About The Royals

Directed by Priyanka Ghose and Nupur Asthana, The Royals is a romantic comedy about a financially struggling royal family in modern-day India. The series stars Ishaan Khatter, Bhumi Pednekar, Nora Fatehi, Zeenat Aman, Vihaan Samat, and Sakshi Tanwar, among others. It released on May 9 on Netflix.