O'Romeo

About the film

O'Romeo is a 2026 Indian Hindi-language romantic action thriller film written and directed by Vishal Bhardwaj. Produced by Sajid Nadiadwala for Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, the film is based on the non-fiction book Mafia Queens of Mumbai by Hussain Zaidi. It stars Shahid Kapoor, Triptii Dimri, Nana Patekar, Avinash Tiwary and Farida Jalal, with Tamannaah Bhatia ,Vikrant Massey and Disha Patani in a special appearances.

Principal photography began in January 2025 and took place primarily in Mumbai and Spain. O' Romeo was released on 13 February 2026, coinciding with the Valentine's Day weekend and received mixed reviews from critics. The film was a commercial failure.

Plot

The events of the film take place in Bombay, 1995, and revolve around Ustara, a feared gangster and hitman who kills his targets using a barber's razor. Ismail Khan, an Intelligence Officer had saved Ustara from Jalal, a gangster established in Spain after Ustara killed Jalal's brother a long time ago, has been using Ustara as a covert operative for himself since. Ismail gives Ustara the contract of killing Jayesh Duggal, Jalal's Financer. Ustara finds Duggal in a theatre and takes down a swarm of bald bodyguards. Just as Duggal is about to escape, Ismail enters and kills him. Fed up of working for Ismail, Ustara plans on escaping to Fiji. Ustara then meets Afshan, a widow, who wants him to kill Inspector Pathare, Ansari, Shankar and Jalal. But Ustara refuses and humiliates her.

It is revealed that her childhood love and husband Mamdu, began working in Jalal's gang for money. After Afshan tells him to leave the gang, Mamdu attempts to do so, but, Shankar and Pathare kill him. Advocate Ansari fabricates fake evidence and frames Mamdu as dangerous criminal and Pathare as an honest officer, thus leaving Afshan no choice but to take matters in her own hands.

A few days later, Afshan steals Ustara's gun and unsuccessfully attempts to kill Inspector Pathare at a cafe, but then finds Ansari alone in the cafe washroom and points her gun at him, but Ansari deceives her, grabbing her gun, and as he is about to kill her, Ustara enters and slits his throat.

Production

Principal photography commenced in January 2025. Filming concluded in August 2025.

Music

The music for the film was composed by Vishal Bhardwaj, with lyrics written by Gulzar. The audio rights of the film were acquired by T-Series. The first single, titled "Hum To Tere Hi Liye The" was released on 16 January 2026. The second single titled "Aashiqon Ki Colony" was released on 27 January 2026. The third single titled "Ishq Ka Fever" was released on 2 February 2026.

Release

O'Romeo was theatrically released on 13 February 2026, coinciding with Valentine's Day weekend. It received an "A" (Adults Only) certificate from the CBFC for graphic violence and strong language.

The post-theatrical digital streaming rights of the film were acquired by Amazon Prime Video. The film began streaming on the platform from 10 April 2026.

Reception

O'Romeo received mixed reviews from critics.

Kashvi Raj Singh of News18 rated the film 4 stars out of 5 and wrote, "In a time of blood fatigue in films, it is easy to dismiss O’Romeo. Had it come before films like Animal and Dhurandhar, it could have been better for the film. Yes, O’Romeo has its share of gore, but it is also different, and it deserves attention. It combines both good performance and technical brilliance." Dhaval Roy of The Times Of India rated the film 3.5 stars out of 5 and wrote "Despite frequent pacing issues that demand patience, O' Romeo is worth watching for its performances, atmosphere and cinematic brilliance." Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV rated the film 3.5 stars out of 5 and wrote, "O'Romeo is at once a love story, a revenge saga, and a crime drama. Every seemingly conflicting strand merges with the others without the lines separating (or linking) them being unduly overt. Rarely does a Hindi action film use the spirit of music and poetry to buttress emotional turmoil, physical strife, and excessive violence to the extent that this one does."

Lachmi Deb Roy of Firstpost rated the film 3.5 stars out of 5 and wrote, "O’ Romeo is undoubtedly a complete massy entertainer, but the script never thins down. A big shout-out to Vishal Bharadwaj for giving such a solid film with quirky dialogues, brilliant music, and engaging performances by each of the actors." Devesh Sharma of Filmfare rated the film 3.5 stars out of 5 and wrote, "In the end, the film is held together by its performances. The actors commit with such conviction that they make even the wildest flourishes feel momentarily plausible. You may roll your eyes at the excess, but you will not be bored. Like any good opera, it demands surrender. And if you give in, it rewards you with spectacle, passion and performances that linger long after the curtain falls." A critic for Bollywood Hungama rated the film 3 stars out of 5 and wrote "On the whole, O'ROMEO delivers several well-made moments and strong performances from the lead cast. However, the uneven writing and the ordinary soundtrack prevent it from creating the kind of impact it aims for."

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