Celebrity stylist Aastha Sharma takes us inside Netflix’s swankiest palace, walks us through The Royals’ style bible, and tells us why Zeenat Aman in a pair of sunglasses was her biggest triumph
Zeenat Aman (right) with Sharma (centre) and Kavya Trehan (left)
A sweeping palace bathed in golden-hour light sees a self-made startup queen storm into a room of chandeliers in a sharp pantsuit. At the other end, a prince in a royal bandhgala looks on. When we sat down with Aastha Sharma, that’s the picture she painted for us of The Royals — Netflix India’s newest offering. “Think what happens when royalty is reimagined with a distinctly modern swagger....” she says.
In the buzzy romantic dramedy created by Rangita and Ishita Pritish Nandy, Bhumi Pednekar plays Sophia, a fiery entrepreneur who falls for Ishaan Khatter’s Prince Aviraj. And in the most inspired casting coup of recent times, Zeenat Aman graces the screen as the matriarch, while the ensemble is packed with names like Sakshi Tanwar, Nora Fatehi, and Lisa Misra, among others. Known for dressing red carpet queens like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Kiara Advani, Sharma’s work here is character architecture. “When people hear ‘royals’, they think of heavy silks and stiff embroidery. But I kept asking myself: what would a 2025 Maharani wear to brunch?” Sharma says.
Ishaan Khatter
That’s where the mood board began, mixing heritage with haute couture, and old money with new mood. “The aim wasn’t to cosplay the monarchy. It was to create aspirational, elevated looks that reflected privilege, power, and personality. I had met the Nandy sisters, Rangita and Ishita, in 2017. I got a call saying that they’re making a show, Four More Shots. It was an instant connection. Rangita has a very strong sense of style, and we are constantly sending each other styles, trends, and how we can incorporate that in what we do next. And just like that, it’s been eight years,” she snaps her fingers.
Strapped for time with only a month to shoot, Sharma says that best creativity happens on a deadline. “I had just had my baby and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to live in Rajasthan for a few months. But the only person who was locked for the show was Zeenat, and how does anyone pass up the opportunity to style the OG?”
Dino Morea
When she read Zeenat Aman’s character, she had goosebumps, Sharma says. “I thought that this is it, this is my dream project. I would get to dress the ultimate icon in a way she’s never been styled before. The day she walked in for the presentation was the first time I met her. We showed her the look board, the mood board. She was all in instantly. She looked at me and said, ‘You’re going to style me?’ I nodded. Then she said, ‘You’re going to make me look like this?’ I said yes. And she just went, ‘Bang on.’ At our first fitting, she looked at herself and said, ‘You know, no one has ever made me look this cool.’ I nearly fainted. She does look incredibly cool and gorgeous. It was surreal. She’s Zeenat Aman. I don’t even need to say anything more. And these weren’t easy clothes to carry off. They were layered, textured, opulent. But as Maajisa, she killed it.”
Each principal character had a clear fashion persona. Bhumi’s Sophia is an outsider. She is unapologetically a disruptor. “We leaned into structured cinched blazers, cigarette trousers, and a muted palette. She is today’s girl and I dressed her in power suits.”
Ishaan’s Prince Aviraj, by contrast, is the reluctant royal. “We always do research, but all I got was images of men dressed in the traditional regalia — for the most part, the same stereotypical portrayal. I had to reimagine it. Here was a character who is a Maharaja by birth but he’s never actually lived that life. He’s grown up in New York, far from palaces and protocol. When he returns, he’s not walking in with a crown on his head or wearing those expected brocades or silks. He’d look like someone you’d see in South Bombay today; stylish, effortless, and contemporary. Yet there’s something about him… The royalty is in his bearing. It’s inborn. We did multiple trials to arrive at that look. There’s a transformation arc in the show, emotionally and aesthetically, and it reflects in his wardrobe too. It was a team effort. Rangita, Ishaan, the rest of us all shaped Aviraj together.”
Aastha Sharma, celebrity stylist
The show’s creators allowed Sharma the room to design with depth. “When I found out the shoot was happening in Jaipur, I thought, ‘Half my job is already done!’ Jaipur has some of the finest jewellers, people with the craftsmanship we needed for this world. In a show like this, jewellery is everything. These characters are royalty. Even if they aren’t in elaborate clothes all the time, their jewellery needs to speak for their lineage.
It has to be exquisite. So I brought Amrapali, Gem Palace, and Rambhajo Jewellers on board. These three were absolute saviours. Because I’ve been in this industry for so many years, I simply picked up the phone and said, ‘Guys, I really need your support on this one.’ And everyone came through wholeheartedly. From Falguni and Shane Peacock to Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, they all said yes instantly. I just had to call and remind them, ‘We’ve worked together for so long now I need your real backing.’ And they showed up for me. The styling on this show is massive, but somehow, everything came together beautifully. This show let us have fun. We weren’t restricted by realism. We were creating a fantasy with roots in India’s royal past.”
Of course, comparisons were inevitable. A commoner entering a palace as a misfit, and challenging legacy? Sonam Kapoor and Fawad Khan’s Khoobsurat (2014) walked that line. But Sharma insists this series is painting a wholly different picture.
“Khoobsurat was a fairy tale. The Royals is a satire dressed as a romance. Moreover, that film is over 10 years old. Royalty, like everything else, has seen a sea of change ever since...”
For Sharma, The Royals is an experience of a lifetime. And who gets to be royal in 2025? “Anyone who walks into a room and owns it,” she smiles.
Hope it’s crown-worthy!
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