Chunky Panday Admits Awkwardness in Romantic Scenes with Sakshi Tanwar in The Royals – Is Age-Appropriate Chemistry Still a Taboo in Bollywood?

Chunky Panday’s recent admission that he felt “awkward” while filming romantic scenes with Sakshi Tanwar in Netflix’s The Royals has sparked a wave of reactions—ranging from empathetic support to sharp criticism. The actor’s candid confession, while seemingly innocent, has reignited debates around ageism, on-screen chemistry, and Bollywood's persistent discomfort with unconventional romantic pairings.

In The Royals, Chunky Panday plays a powerful patriarch with a romantic subplot opposite Sakshi Tanwar, an actress widely praised for her intense performances and grounded persona. While audiences were intrigued by the pairing, few expected the actor himself to admit feeling uneasy about the romance. According to Chunky, despite being a seasoned performer, the emotional depth and romantic involvement in his scenes with Sakshi felt “awkward” and “unusual.” But what’s more intriguing is the underlying message his statement sends.

In a cinematic industry obsessed with young love and picture-perfect couples, the pairing of two middle-aged actors in a romantic setup is still a rarity. Instead of being celebrated, it’s treated like a risky experiment. Chunky’s discomfort, whether personal or performative, only underlines how Bollywood continues to struggle with portraying mature romance in a natural and respectful light. And the fact that he openly admitted to his awkwardness has opened a Pandora’s box.

Was this confession a heartfelt moment of honesty or a sly way of distancing himself from a role that didn’t align with mainstream expectations? Many viewers believe that by vocalizing his discomfort, Chunky has unintentionally undermined the credibility of the show’s romantic arc. For a series built on royal politics and emotional complexity, such admissions can easily derail the audience’s suspension of disbelief. After all, if the actor himself feels awkward, how authentic can the romance really be?

Moreover, the comment has not gone down well with fans of Sakshi Tanwar, who argue that the statement subtly shifts the narrative away from her powerful performance and makes the dynamic about Chunky’s comfort. Is the male discomfort more newsworthy than the female character’s strength and presence? It’s a fair question—and one that exposes Bollywood’s gendered storytelling lens.

Others are calling out the industry’s double standards. Younger actors are often applauded for “chemistry experiments” and “bold choices” when paired with older co-stars or unconventional partners. But when two actors in their 50s share the screen in an intimate storyline, it becomes a talking point for all the wrong reasons.

Ultimately, The Royals may not just be a royal drama—it’s now inadvertently become a symbol of Bollywood’s resistance to evolving romantic norms. Chunky Panday’s awkwardness may be relatable, but it also reflects an uncomfortable truth: mainstream cinema still has a long way to go in normalizing mature love stories that aren’t either caricatured or burdened by taboo.

In a time when OTT platforms are supposed to break barriers, has Bollywood simply found a new space to repackage its old insecurities?