O’ Romeo (2026) Review!!

Synopsis – A gritty, Shakespearean take on love, obsession, and betrayal, exploring a gangster’s transformation when true love challenges his violent world.

My Take – With films like Kaminey (2009), Haider (2014) and the unfairly written off Rangoon (2017) behind them, filmmaker Vishal Bharadwaj and actor Shahid Kapoor have proved to be quite a dynamic combo for setting a new benchmark for intense storytelling and layered performances.

Predicatively expectations were high for their fourth outing, an ultra-violent underworld drama, which runs for nearly three hours and weaves together a story of love, tragedy and revenge.

However, despite the scale, the star-studded cast and his efforts to stays within the parameters of mainstream practices while seeking ways around and beyond the commercial feature template, the emotional rawness and the strong deep-rooted core that usually define his storytelling seem slightly missing this time.

Loosely adapted from journalist Hussain Zaidi’s Mafia Queens Of Mumbai (2011), the film wins in parts without ever seeming over-indulgent, as it tempers bursts of extreme violence with tender moments marked by striking lyricism, but, burdened by the expectations and parameters that defines a Vishal Bhardwaj film, the final product is left swinging between highs and lows.

Sure, it’s more sure-footed than his recent slate, however, the stylish, entertaining and performance-driven experience doesn’t fully resonate. Making it one of those films that keeps you intermittently engaged but rarely moved. Enjoyable in parts, admirable in craft, but emotionally uneven. An above average watch that will probably be forgotten by the end of the year.

Set in 1995, the story follows Ustara (Shahid Kapoor), a menacing tattooed gangster, contract killer and notorious womanizer, who along with his gang and grandmother (Farida Jalal) has been on the run for a while, hiding on a boat docked in Mumbai. But while his second in command and best friend, Chhotu (Hussain Dalal), dreams of them escaping to another country like Fiji or western Europe to start a fresh, Ustara is left to use his artistic ways of slashing people for Ismail Khan (Nana Patekar) from the Intelligence Bureau, who has not only kept him on payroll, but has also provided him protection from his former Spain based partner, the fugitive gangster, Jalal (Avinash Tiwary) after their fallout.

However, Ustara’s meaningless life finds purpose when he is introduced to Afsha Qureshi (Triptii Dimri), a widow, who offers him a contract to kill a moral-less lawyer named Anjum Ansari (Resh Lamba), a corrupt cop named Pathare (Rahul Deshpande) and finally, Jalal. Three men she knows are responsible for the death of her beloved husband, Mehboob (Vikrant Massey). Though, amused by her demand, Ustara initially declines the offer, but moved by her innocence, quickly takes her under his wing, hereby beginning a love story written in blood and sacrifices.

By now we all know that in director Vishal Bhardwaj’s films, love exists – but not the easy kind. People don’t fall in love simply. They circle each other. They resist, they ache, they hold back. His latest too follows that same pattern. It’s poetic, almost like art. It is never comfort, it costs something and sometimes too much.

Though mounted as a gangster flick, at its core the film, co-written by Bhardwaj and Rohan Narula, is a love story. Afshan’s marriage to Mehboob meets a tragic end, but she finds a companion in Ustara who is ready to sacrifices himself to avenge her husband’s death. Ustara and Afshan’s chemistry is integral to the story. Though not at its peak crackling stage, theirs is restrained, quiet and has some percentage of discomfort, primarily due to the film’s setting. Director Bhardwaj doesn’t use unnecessary moments to build sensual tension between them. The film is slow and simmers perfectly.

But while, the first half of the film carries a sense of momentum even as it focuses heavily on character introductions and arc-building, setting up the emotional and dramatic conflicts effectively, the second half is strangely conventional. What felt tight and controlled earlier begins to unravel, with scenes stretch longer than they should, and the emotional intensity that once felt simmering turns uneven.

Most surprisingly, the narrative becomes predictable, and the impact that should have landed strongly feels diluted. Slapped on by a style and idiosyncrasy to offset a narrative that flits between looking cool, being commercially accessible and being a throwback to gangster flicks of yore.

Even the central emotional arc, which is meant to carry the film, doesn’t always hit as hard as it should. The idea that love and violence can coexist, that even the darkest characters have a soft corner, is compelling. But it isn’t explored with the depth it needed. Nevertheless, despite running for 178 minutes the film keeps you hooked from start to end.

The film itself is handsomely mounted, with some well-shot action sequences, with the climax containing some highlight moments. Even if you feel the time, it’s not because of the length but because you want to know if there is another twist all set to unfold before it’s time for the credits to roll by. It also helps that the songs and the background score, both by Bhardwaj himself, are an absolute treat. The musical numbers are delivered as staged song and dance set pieces, even as they are neatly and efficaciously intertwined with the narrative.

Performance wise, Shahid Kapoor delivers another stand out turn that reminds us why he is filmmaker Bhardwaj’s ultimate muse. As an already well-proven phenomenal actor, Kapoor sharpens the already edgy character with his swag, madness and passion. Triptii Dimri once again proves to be an infectious presence. Balancing ferocity with grace, Dimri makes Afshan lovable with those truthful and innocent eyes.

While the character of Jalal isn’t exactly well-written, Avinash Tiwari makes him a menacing presence. Nana Patekar is a bit underutilized, but is his charming best throughout. Farida Jalal and Hussain Dalal provide good support. National award-winning classical singer Rahul Deshpande does a well-rounded job. While in smaller roles, Vikrant Massey, Tamannaah Bhatia and Disha Patani leave a mark. On the whole, ‘O’ Romeo‘ is a decent one-time watch that doesn’t reach the heights expected from a Vishal Bhardwaj film, yet still offers gripping action, strong performances, and moments of intensity.