What is the story about?
“Romeo O Romeo where art thou?” With this, every Shakespearean fan is aware of where Vishal Bhardwaj’s next film draws its inspiration from. Titled O’
Romeo, the upcoming action-romantic film is headlined by Shahid Kapoor, Triptii Dimri, Nana Patekar, Tamannaah Bhatia, Vikrant Massey, Disha Patani and Avinash Tiwary. The first teaser was unveiled today. Bhardwaj, inspired heavily by William Shakespeare, has adapted iconic tales of Othello, Hamlet and Macbeth for the Indian milieu. Now, it seems he is blending the Shakespearean poetry with the Indian gangster world. Shahid and Vishal have collaborated in the past, and the result has been explosive. With critical acclaim giving a stamp of approval to this actor-director duo, the audience is eager to see what they bring to the table with O’ Romeo.
Shahid Kapoor - Through Vishal Bhardwaj's Lens
After acclaimed characters like Charlie/Guddu and Haider Meer, Shahid returns to Bhardwaj’s dark world as Ustara, who is said to be drawn into a game of betrayal, love and vengeance after falling in love with Afsha. He is a hitman and a dreaded gangster. Vishal has never given Shahid a weak character to play. Throwing challenges at the actor, he added a new dimension to his career every time they collaborated. Before the release of Kaminey in 2009, Shahid was known to be Bollywood’s chocolate boy. Often stereotyped in romantic roles, Bhardwaj saw an anti-hero in him and signed the actor not just for one, but dual roles as Guddu and Charlie Sharma.
Kaminey marks beginning of career change
Transforming into someone nobody ever saw coming in Bollywood, Shahid delivered a performance that cinema’s history holds with the highest regard. Shedding the image of a romantic hero, he proved that his best is yet to be explored. Pushing the envelope further, Shahid breathed life into a multilayered character. Showing his range as an actor, Kapoor delivered a standout performance by creating two distinct characters on-screen without confusing the audience with their different identities. In Kaminey, Charlie lisps while Guddu stutters; Shahid understood the finer nuances and introduced them to the worldwide audience. What he did in the film was edgy, brave and unconventional. Shahid, who was once cast for romantic roles, showed filmmakers that he is capable of tapping into the dark side of love, revenge and life.
Haider's haunting act
Following the success of Kaminey, Vishal welcomed Shahid into his Shakespearean era with Haider. Based on Hamlet, the filmmaker’s vision for the actor was a complete game-changer. In a never-before-seen avatar, Shahid shook the film industry with his heart-piercing performance as Haider Meer, a student and poet who returns to Kashmir, seeking answers regarding his father’s disappearance. Amid this, he finds himself in the middle of a political conflict. Haider explores the character’s transformation from a peace-loving student to a revenge-seeking son. The sudden shift in her demeanour and using his intelligence as an actor to understand Haider’s internal conflicts was a masterclass in acting. Prior to Haider, Shahid had an unseen side to his mettle that shone brightly in the political drama.
A lot of credit goes to Vishal Bhardwaj for introducing various unconventional aspects of Shahid’s acting prowess to the audience. Ever since they collaborated, Kapoor has been pushing the boundaries with darker, bolder and unpredictable roles. Stepping out of his comfort zone and gentlemanly mannerism, Shahid presented flawed characters with utmost perfection.
Will O' Romeo be another game-changer?
Similarly, with O’ Romeo, Shahid brings yet another imperfect character to life and steals the show with his aggression, passion, swag, and notoriousness. Ustara might not be the man you would interact with daily, but he is among us. A part of Indian society. A Mumbaiyya character, Ustara’s story begins with crime and ends with love, as shown in the teaser. Sporting a full-body tattoo, his personality is wrapped with experiences that shaped his career, life, mentality and aggression.
O’ Romeo is produced by Sajid Nadiadwala’s Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment. It releases on February 13. The film also stars Farida Jalal, Nana Patekar, Tamannaah Bhatia, Vikrant Massey, Triptii Dimri, Avinash Tiwary and Disha Patani. This marks a hattrick of Vishal and Shahid’s collaboration. While it seems to be inspired by Romeo and Juliet, the makers are yet to confirm this. O’ Romeo is based on a real-life incident, apparently around Dawood Ibrahim and Sapna Didi.
