Vishal Bhardwaj Says Films Reflect Society's Reality, Expletives Shouldn't Be Censored: 'Poetry Hoti Hai'

At the trailer launch of O Romeo, filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj spoke openly about censorship, language and how cinema reflects society, making it clear that he does not believe in sanitising expletives in films. Explaining the emotional core of the film, Vishal said the story goes beyond violence and harsh language. According to him, O Romeo is, at heart, a love story. He said, “It’s a love story with a violent background, but in its DNA, it’s a love story. It’s an unrequited love story of this character Ustara.”

Addressing the debate around abusive language and on-screen violence, the director strongly argued against muting or censoring expletives. Vishal made it clear that he believes realism should not be diluted for comfort. He said, “Aur jahan

tak aap yeh gaali aur violence ki baat kar rahe hain, mujhe lagta hai ki beep beep beep nahi hona chahiye, yeh hi hona chahiye jo ki poora bola jaa sake.” Vishal also spoke about what he sees as society’s double standards when it comes to cinema. He pointed out that the same language and aggression people witness daily is often blamed on films. He said, “Kyunki hum as society, hum log bahut hi hypocrite log hain. Hum sarkon pe yeh gaaliyaan accept kar lete hain, cinema mein nahi kyunki har bura kaam cinema karta hai, cinema hi aapko bigaadega, cinema hi aapko sudharega.” Rejecting the idea that films shape people’s morality, Vishal added that cinema simply mirrors what already exists. He said, “Aisa kuch nahi hota hai, cinema mere hisaab se aaina hai jo aapko dikhlaata hai. Agar aaj violence ho raha hai, is tarike ka violence, toh yeh violence humari society mein exist karta hai.” He ended his point on a lighter but pointed note, saying, “Aur gaaliya to mujhe lagta hai ki poetry hoti hai. Dhang se use kiya jaye toh aap bhi dijiye koi problem nahi hai.”

Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, O Romeo is scheduled to release in theatres on February 13, 2026. The film stars Shahid Kapoor in the lead role, alongside Triptii Dimri, Nana Patekar, Tamannaah Bhatia, Vikrant Massey, Avinash Tiwary and Disha Patani.