The Royals: Is Work Potato a Real Company?

The romcom show ‘The Royals’ blends the affluent luxuries of modern royalty with the fast-paced world of corporate startups to present an unexpected romance. Sophia Kanmani Shekhar is a work-driven businesswoman who wants to take her company, The Work Potato, to another level by revolutionizing the market in Royal Palace hospitality. As a result, she ends up collaborating with the royal family of Morpur, who have recently been hit with a drastic financial crisis. The deal that strikes up between the family and the company promises to be a mutually beneficial endeavor. Still, complications inevitably arise when Sophia’s path crosses with the spoiled Prince, Aviraaj “Fizzy” Singh, who has a penchant for evading his Herculean responsibilities.

Consequently, the fate of Morpur and Work Potato ends up in the hands of this stubborn duo, who are perpetually torn between fighting and falling in love. In this narrative, while Aviraaj’s title and lavish lifestyle ground his character in reality, Sophia’s dedication to her hospitality venture fulfills the same for her. Therefore, as Work Potato occupies a significant role within the narrative, it becomes a natural point of intrigue.

Work Potato is a Fictional Company with Realistic Business Ideas

Much like most of the storytelling elements in ‘The Royals,’ the Work Potato is also only a fictional tool created to further the narrative. Its primary purpose remains to serve Sophia’s character, adding background and instant characterization to her story. Furthermore, it shapes the base premise of the tale, setting up the central storyline of a collaboration between a Royal family and a hospitality startup. Even though the company itself lacks a direct counterpart in real life, its business practices and ideas remain rooted in reality. In real life, there are numerous companies that specialize in offering hospitality services and packages that center around palaces, forts, and estates that once belonged to India’s noble class.

Most famously, the company Indian Hotels Company Limited, or Taj Hotels, engages in this business practice. It owns and manages various renowned properties like Mumbai’s Taj Mahal Palace, Jodhpur’s Umaid Bhawan Palace, and even Jaipur’s Rambagh Palace, where a majority of filming took place for the on-screen Motibagh Palace in Morpur. Similarly, a number of other companies, including The Leela Palaces, Hotels, and Resorts, also work within the same industry niche. Thus, these companies are able to offer luxurious experiences to their customers by submerging them in the residence and culture of historical royal families.

Yet, while this presents a notable real-life context that parallels the Work Potato’s business model, Sophia’s fictional company comes with its own eccentricities. Instead of a well-established firm like Taj Hotels, which was founded in the 1900s, the hospitality corporation in the show is only a startup, still in the early days of asserting its foundational roots. Although this detail distances the Work Potato from its possible real-life counterpart, it also serves to add drama and conflict to Sophia’s storyline, allowing for more dynamic storytelling. Thus, the company ultimately remains a work of fiction.