Star Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Triptii Dimri, Avinash Tiwary, Farida Jalal, Nana Patekar, Tamannaah Bhatia, Disha Patani, Aruna Irani, Hussain Dalal, Rahul Deshpande
Director: Vishal Bhardwaj
What’s Good: The haunting synergy of Vishal Bhardwaj’s dark lens and Gulzar Saab’s soul-stirring poetry; Shahid Kapoor returning to his ‘angsty’ best.
What’s Bad: Pacing gets a bit tricky in the first half!
Loo Break: Go ahead, if you want to miss Triptii Dimri looking like a dream!
Watch or Not?: If you expect Haider or Kaminey level Cinema, you might be disappointed, but put away that burden, and this is absolutely good Cinema!
Language: Hindi
Available On: Theatrical release
Runtime: 2 hours 58 Minutes
User Rating:
In the world of Indian Cinema, a collaboration between Vishal Bhardwaj, Gulzar, and Shahid Kapoor is a celebration of Cinema, be it Haider or Kaminey. The trio returns with the gritty, brooding world of Kaminey wrapped into the haunting chaos of Haider, blended together in O Romeo! Also starring Triptii Dimri, Avinash Tiwary, and Nana Patekar in the lead role, the film wins in parts and probably gets burdened by the expectations and parameters that have been set by Vishal Bhardwaj with his previous films. But does that take away the crown from this love story? Not at all.
Set against the underbelly of Mumbai, Vishal Bhardwaj weaves a story of love and tragedy through revenge that is obsessed with crime, lust, bloodbath, violence, and some more violence! The level of violence in this film can be clearly guessed by the lead character’s name, Ustraa, played by a very confident Shahid Kapoor.
O’Romeo Movie Review: Script Analysis
O Romeo follows the story of a hitman – Shahid Kapoor, who follows the instructions of his boss, Nana Patekar, as they run an empire built on violence and killings! Farida Jalal makes sure that his grandson does his job well until a point when Shahid is offered a ‘Supari’ by Triptii Dimri, to kill some of the bigwigs (some of whom have been a part of his clan!) He initially rejects the client until he falls in love with her. What follows next is a poetic yet chaotic tale of love and revenge that never hits a low, but misses hitting the maximum highs at some points!
O’Romeo Movie Review: Star Performance
What is the biggest win for an actor in a film? When you are not convinced if he looks the part, but he never lets you realize the same! Shahid Kapoor delivers a performance that reminds us why he is Bhardwaj’s ultimate muse. His Romeo is jagged, broken, and dangerously quiet. Something shifts in his DNA organically when Shahid Kapoor enters Vishal Bhardwaj’s world as Ustraa. Too loud at times and still having eyes that haunt in silences. Shahid pulls off both emotions with such finesse! There is a moment in the film when he warns Triptii Dimri’s Afshaan not to turn to crime and confesses, “It will rip you apart, and there will be a void forever!” The scene talks a lot in silences, and you want to see them together, two broken people, who probably need to heal, and might heal in togetherness!
Triptii Dimri brings a fierce, modern agency to Romeo’s lover. However, she is the Juliet in distress, but no damsel! She isn’t just a girl in love; she is a woman calculating her revenge for the man whom she loved the most and lost! Shahid and Triptii’s chemistry isn’t pretty – it’s desperate and explosive.
Avinash Tiwary‘s antagonist is unpredictable, and he reminds one of the madness of Qais in parts. Totally working in his favor! He owns the frame and looks powerful as the villain of this love-revenge drama! Nana Patekar and Farida Jalal are a bit underutilized, but they charm their way out in everything they do! Disha Patani and Tamannah are major misses!
O’Romeo Movie Review: Direction, Music
We call Vishal Bhardwaj a magician, and why so is proved in this tale. His direction is patient, and demands the same from you in the first half! He allows silences to speak as loudly as the gunshots. The Music is the film’s beating heart. Gulzar saab’s lyrics are, as expected, breathtaking, even in a world that is characterized by screams, abuses, and gunshots, finding beauty in fountains of blood!
The film requires a lot of patience in the first half as it builds the story brick by brick, and there are points when you run out of that patience! Probably the one thing that does not work in O Romeo’s favor! However, there are two other aspects that could have elevated this film brilliantly – A. Farida Jalal’s presence – her character felt undercooked and should have been explored more, B. Vikrant Massey‘s cameo – he feels wasted in the plot – just collateral damage as Vishal Bhardwaj callously drops his importance due to too many characters eating the plot already!
The music is absolute class. We have to discuss that in detail but in short it is uff at some points and good for the rest of the part!
O’Romeo Movie Review: The Last Word
What ultimately works for O Romeo is the film’s refusal to play safe. It succeeds because it treats all the lead characters, including the antagonist Avinash Tiwari, in a very calculated script that builds enough tension. The film might smell of gunpowder and bullets, but it is wrapped in a poetic and dreamy setup – a storytelling that is Vishal Bhardwaj’s forte – bringing Cinema that has a life and a soul!
It is an altogether mood – dark, poetic, and violent. While the pacing might test the patience of the ‘fast-forward’ generation, the chaos and the dreamy setup make it a must-watch in the theaters! Shahid Kapoor’s poetic rage, Triptii Dimri’s brooding revenge, and Avinash Tiwary’s evil power make this tale a bloody world you might not want to enter, but definitely should!
PS. Do Gangsters have moral boundaries? Well, in Vishal Bhardwaj’s world, yes, a very distinct one! I am still wondering how I should feel about that one!
PPS. The background music in the climax scene is a show stealer! Sheer brilliance!
The only reason I returned a bit disappointed was the lack of wow moments you get in a Vishal Bhardwaj film! He and his cinema have spoiled me that way! Kya karein!
3.5 stars!
O’Romeo Trailer
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