'O Romeo' Review: Shahid Kapoor Is Fabulous In A Weak Vishal Bhardwaj Film

2026-02-15 04:23:09

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) In the late 90s and early 2000s, mob movies in Bollywood were a genre unto themselves. It was a time when the grip of organised crime had just begun to loosen in Mumbai, and the stories of those who ruled it as well as agents who hunted them down captured public imagination. Popular culture glamorised and romanticised this dangerous world where there were no heroes or villains; where the police and politicians were grey and dons wore shades of white. Bollywood, ever quick to sense a trend, produced some of its finest crime sagas during these years-Satya, Company, Black Friday, Ab Tak Chhappan... take your pick.

Of the many urban legends, one incredible story stood out-that of Sapna Didi, a woman who entered this male-dominated arena with a single objective: to avenge the killing of her husband by Dawood Ibrahim. From a shy housewife, Sapna, aka Ashraf Khan, transformed into a sharpshooter, partnering with Ustara, a man with his own grudge against the dreaded gangster. Together, the duo attacked the highest echelons of the mafia and even managed to dent its operations. Unfortunately, she was caught and met with a horrific, violent death allegedly at the hands of Ibrahim's henchmen.

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Sapna's story was immortalised in Mafia Queens of Mumbai, journalist Hussain Zaidi's thrilling book that profiled some of the underworld's most formidable women. And it is her journey that is rumoured to inspire Vishal Bhardwaj's latest film O Romeo.

True or False?

Over the last few weeks, social media has discussed the Sapna story and its role in this Shahid Kapoor-Tripti Dimri starrer in detail. With Zaidi being the writer and Bhardwaj and Rohan Narula penning the screenplay, the rumours gained further credence. So naturally one walks in with an expectation of watching a gripping true tale of revenge and redemption set in grimy '90s Mumbai. But wait till you find out what happens next.

On paper, O Romeo has everything going for it. An unbelievable story. A fascinating premise. A director-actor team that has given us some cinematic gems like Haider and Kaminey. Solid actors like Shahid, Tripti, Nana Patekar, Rahul Deshpande, Avinash Tiwary and Farida Jalal. Fabulous cinematography and melodious music. And a huge budget.

Yet Bhardwaj blows it up, big time.

The film begins well. In the narrow muddy lanes of Mumbai, the camera introduces us to Hussain Ustara (Shahid), a hired gun who gets his nickname from the way he's known to slit his enemies with a blade (this bit is a nod to the real-life Ustara). Working for an intelligence officer Khan (Nana Patekar) with whom he shares a love-hate banter-filled relationship, Ustara is a caricaturised contract killer who loves his women and his foul-mouthed granny (dear old Farida Jalal). Life changes when the fragile Afshan Qureshi (Tripti) enters his life with a contract to kill Jalal (Avinash Tiwary), the biggest mafia kingpin and a few of his close associates. The reason: these were the men who had brutally murdered her husband.

Despite his initial reluctance, Ustara is deeply drawn to Afshan and agrees to help her, only to find himself drawn deeper into a vortex of violence and bloodshed.

The flourishes

There are touches of vintage Vishal Bhardwaj in many scenes. The rifle-shaped bottle from which Shahid pours himself beverages is almost a prop to the violence that defines his life. An action set piece is amusingly set in an empty theatre that plays a house version of Dhak Dhak. In one scene, he makes a statement about religious disharmony dividing even the underworld. And then there are heightened and poignant montages depicting Ustara's deep feelings for Afshan. You can sense the director's desire to infuse poetry and lyricism in the doomed world the story is set in.

Ustara is volatile and impulsive, Afshan is stoic and deep. It's an impossible union, especially with a classical-music loving corrupt cop, a smarmy lawyer and a horde of outlaws on their heels. While individually, these elements might seem interesting, the intensity that makes you want to invest in these characters or care for them, is lacking. Nevertheless, the first half is quite engaging.

It's in the post-interval session that the film truly comes undone. For reasons that never seem convincing, the action shifts to Spain, where Jalal has built his empire. Here, the fearsome crime lord is also a matador with some strange bullring sequences. Avinash Tiwary approaches the role with the energy of an '80s or '90s screen villain, snarling and growling away, when a cooler, icier demeanour might have made him far more terrifying. There is also a cameo by a leading actress which adds a whole new dimension to an already stretched story.

The overall result? Nothing rings true. Afshan's grief doesn't move you, Ustara's idiosyncrasies don't amuse, the duo's love story doesn't really take off and Jalal's brutality doesn't give you the chills. The climax face off in a bullring is a true facepalm moment. Ustara walks in, instead of a bull and Jalal spews threats in Hindi, talking about their past association in front of a packed Spanish audience. Eh?

Perhaps this is the film's biggest failing. Had Bhardwaj and his writers stuck to the original foundation of a vengeful, brave woman who challenges the most dangerous criminals by being part of that milieu, O Romeo would have been truly powerful. What should have remained in the grungy bylanes of Mumbai flies to the sweeping vistas of Spain via an interlude in hilly Nepal without doing justice to any of them.

Watching O Romeo feels like a series of missed opportunities. If only it had been an out and out gritty mob film. If only it had stuck to the feminist theme of a woman who dared take on an impossible challenge for love. If only it had explored the relation between crime and politics. If only Afshan's dilemma of loyalty to her dead husband, her unshakeable mission and her confused feelings for an enamoured Ustara had been given more layers. The trading of a taut, intense storytelling for scale and spectacle dilutes the impact considerably.

The lack of depth is overcompensated with violence and cuss words. We understand hyper-masculinity is the flavour of the season, but isn't this loud, ultra-violent man-child portrayal of our leading men beginning to feel tiresome? Have we still not had our fill of skulls smashing, blood oozing from slit throats and bodies being stabbed like props in a slaughterhouse? Why are our most sensitive, intelligent filmmakers jumping on the gore-wagon? Is spewing abuses every second sentence-whether the scene warrants it or not-the new style of writing?

It's such a pity because the potential was immense with very sincere actors. Shahid has given his all to the role. Though his Ustara comes across as a mix of Tommy from Udta Punjab, Guddu from Kaminey and Kabir Singh from Kabir Singh, the actor has a great screen presence. Tripti has performed well too but her Afshan deserved a better arc. Nana Patekar as Khan is a delight to watch. And you have veterans Farida Jalal and Aroona Irani merrily mouthing gaalis. Shock value? Maybe! But you can't help but miss the iconic characters that Bhardwaj has gifted to Hindi cinema in the past-Kay Kay Menon and Tabu in Haider, Irrfan in Maqbool, Langda Tyagi in Omkara and so many others.

O Vishal, what a waste!

Movie name: O Romeo

Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Triptii Dimri, Avinash Tiwary

Director: Vishal Bhardwaj