For Nora Fatehi, it’s back to the sets of The Royals. The actress has begun filming the second season of the Netflix series, and her latest social media update has offered fans a glimpse of what she’s
been up to.
In the new picture, Nora is seen posing with Ishaan Khatter, who is also returning for the next chapter.
Nora will reprise her role as Ayesha Dhondi in Season 2 after appearing in the first installment. Her return comes as the series moves ahead with a new storyline, with the makers reportedly shifting some of the focus towards the royal family and its dynamics.
According to a Mid-Day report, Bhumi Pednekar, who played the female lead alongside Ishaan in the first season, will not be returning for the second installment. Bhumi was expected to continue with the show after Season 1 ended and the series was renewed, but the report states that she has now exited the project.
The upcoming season is also expected to move away from being primarily centred on Ishaan’s romantic life. A source quoted by Mid-Day explained that the family became one of the elements that connected with viewers.
“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,” the insider told Mid-Day.
Bhumi had earlier spoken about the criticism she received following the first season and how deeply it affected her. In an interview with Mid-Day, she said, “The noise became so loud that I couldn’t hear my own creative voice anymore. When you are told every day that you don’t look like yourself, it starts to seep in. I felt numb,” Bhumi said.
The actress is also reportedly concentrating on other projects following her exit from The Royals.
Meanwhile, Nora is stepping into Season 2 at a busy point in her career. She has had a packed 2026 so far, including her association with the FIFA World Cup 2026 and a string of music releases. Her track Siir Siir was included in the Official FIFA World Cup 2026 Album, while Champions, Locked In and Slay to the Rhythm have also been released in recent months.
The Royals is a Hindi romantic comedy-drama series directed by Priyanka Ghose and Nupur Asthana and written by Neha Veena Sharma. Produced by Pritish Nandy Communications, the ensemble cast of the first season included Bhumi Pednekar, Ishaan Khatter, Zeenat Aman, Sakshi Tanwar, Nora Fatehi, Vihaan Samat, Dino Morea and Milind Soman.
The story follows a financially struggling royal family in modern-day India whose lives change when the heir joins forces with a hospitality entrepreneur to turn their ancestral palace into a luxury resort.
The series premiered on Netflix on May 9, 2025. While performances by Khatter, Samat and Tanwar, along with the costumes and production design, received praise, the show also drew criticism for its direction, storyline and the chemistry between Pednekar and Khatter. Netflix renewed the series for a second season on May 28, 2025.
