Vishal Bhardwaj On Hussain Ustara’s Daughter's Allegations Regarding O'Romeo: 'I Did Not Think...'

Vishal Bhardwaj has reacted to Hussain Ustara’s daughter, Sanober Sheikh’s allegations regarding his upcoming movie, O’Romeo. On Wednesday, the filmmaker was speaking at the trailer launch of Shahid Kapoor-starrer

when he claimed he did not think about taking permission from Hussain’s daughter for his film since his directorial is based on a book titled ‘Mafia Queens of Mumbai’.

“There is a book named Mafia Queens of Mumbai, which is written by Hussain Zaidi. I took the rights of that story and made a film. Of course, characters are from the book but there are certain fictional aspects as well. I am sure Hussain sahab must have taken all permissions. Therefore, I do not think I also needed to take permissions. My film is based on a story which is a part of a book,” Bhardwaj said.

What Is The O’Romeo Controversy?

Earlier this month, a report by Bollywood Hungama claimed that a legal notice was sent to the filmmakers by the daughter of Hussain Ustara after the teaser of O’Romeo was released. In the notice, Hussain’s daughter, Sanober, claimed that she believes there is a wrong portrayal of her father in the Vishal Bhardwaj directorial, and in her notice, she has asked for compensation of Rs. 2 crores.

Later, Sanober also reacted to the controversy while speaking exclusively to CNN-News18 and said, “O Romeo is based on baba. The teaser states that the film is based on a true story. I want to ask them, who’s the person the film is based on. My father wasn’t a gangster. Hussain Ustara helped a lot of people. He wanted to cleanse the city and remove gangsters. He wasn’t a criminal. You won’t find any criminal record. The problem is how is image is portrayed in the film.”

About O Romeo

O Romeo is Sajid Nadiadwala and Vishal Bhardwaj’s debut collaboration. The film also marks Vishal’s reunion with Shahid after over eight years. The two previously worked together on films like Kaminey (2009), Haider (2014), and Rangoon (2017). The film is also Triptii Dimri’s debut collaboration with Vishal and Shahid.

O Romeo is expected to be a visually stunning action thriller that combines strong drama, scenic visuals, and emotional storytelling. The film will hit theatres on February 13, 2026.