O Romeo: Why Is Shahid Kapoor’s Character Named Ustara?

Shahid

Kapoor and Triptii Dimri’s O’ Romeo released in theatres a day before Valentine’s Day 2026. The story is derived from Hussain Ustara and Sapna Didi’s chapter from Hussain Zaidi’s Mafia Queens of Mumbai. It is a love story set in Mumbai’s underworld. The film is also touted to be an adaptation of Shakespeare’s iconic Romeo and Juliet’s story. Before locking O’ Romeo, the tentative title was Ustara. The barber's razor is an important tool in the film. Hussain was also known as the blade-wielding, and his rivalry with Dawood Ibrahim during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Why Shahid Kapoor's character is called Ustara?

InO’ Romeo, Shahid is called Ustara. His real name and surname were not revealed. Instead, in one of the scenes, Triptii’s Afshan asks him the reason behind being called ‘Ustara’. He recalled killing his father’s murderer at the then-family-owned barber shop using the blade that was available to cut hair. Hussain Ustara’s real surname was Shaikh.

O' Romeo inspired by Hussain Ustara's story?

Hussain Ustara inspires Shahid’s character whereas Triptii’s Afshan is said to be based on Sapna Didi. Avinash Tiwary, the antagonist of the film, is reportedly representing Dawood Ibrahim. The makers maintain that the movie’s story is fictional and inspired by real events rather than a factual recreation.

Who was Hussain Ustara?

Hussain, a Mumbai-based gangster, operated actively in the '80s and '90s. He ran his own criminal syndicate. Shaikh also acted as a police informer against Dawood. He was linked to Ashraf Khan or Sapna Didi, who sought to avenge her husband by killing Ibrahim. They teamed up to achieve their mutual goals.

Legal case against O' Romeo

Following the trailer of O’ Romeo, Hussain’s daughter Sanober Shaikh sent a notice to the makers, accusing them of chronicling her father’s story without the family's consent. She demanded Rs 2 crore in compensation. However, the plea was dismissed by the Bombay City Civil Court. While the story behind the name Ustara has been revealed in the film, the reality is slightly different.

In Zaidi’s book, Ustara shared that by the age of 15, he was a trained pickpocket in Mumbai. Once, he was required to deposit the day’s loot with the ring leader. However, he wanted to keep a huge sack for himself. On being discovered, he was beaten. In his defence, he took out the blade and inflicted a wound that cut the ring leader’s body. Since then, the blade got attached to his identity and instead of Shaikh, people referred to him as Ustara. O’ Romeo’s cast completes with Nana Patekar, Farida Jalal, Avinash Tiwary, Tamannaah Bhatia, Disha Patani and Vikrant Massey.