Vishal Bhardwaj’s latest offering, O Romeo is a gritty tapestry of love and revenge. Like every other earlier movie of this talented filmmaker, O Romeo also seeks inspiration from famous literary pieces. This time, it is from the novel, Mafia Queens of Mumbai by S. Hussain Zaidi. But is it just as gripping as Kaminey, Haider, and Omkara?
O Romeo Story
The movie centers on Ustara, also known as Ustra, the character played by Shahid Kapoor. Ustara is a volatile hitman who slits throats with a barber’s razor. He follows orders from an IB officer, played near to perfection by the legendary Nana Patekar.
Ustara is approached by Afsha (Tripti Dimri), who wants to avenge the death of her husband, portrayed by Vikrant Massey. Afsha has on her hit list a politician, a police officer, a lawyer, and a mafia. Initially reluctant, Ustara eventually agrees to help Afsha, particularly when he fathoms the depth of her grief and intentions.
What follows after that is a love-and-gore saga with a climax in Spain. The movie has enough action for the Dhishoom-dhishoom lovers and a pinch of love, romantic emotions for those who love watching Shahid Kapoor’s unique style of romance. Yet, it struggles with typical twists, many illogical scenes, unnecessary songs, and a predictable end.
Acting and Performance
The storyline has its highs, lows and mistakes but the performances are spot on.
Shahid Kapoor anchors the movie, masterfully balancing his professional cold brutality with inner vulnerabilities. He carries the story effortlessly on his shoulders.
Nana Patekar, the veteran, doesn’t miss to impress audiences with his refreshing, seamless performance as an Intelligence Bureau officer.
Tripti Dimri steals the show with her intense performance as a lady, hell-bent on vengeance with a chilling, quiet composure. She delivers every emotion gracefully, while not going overboard to appear intense.
The supporting characters have done an equally commendable job.
Avinash Tiwary as Jalal, the antagonist, doesn’t have as many scenes, but reasonably looks convincing. Yet, he lacks the visceral menace of the legendary 90’s villains such as Amrish Puri, Paresh Rawal, Gulshan Grover, etc., in movies from that era.
Rahul Deshpande, the musical maestro, plays the melodious corrupt policeman with ease. He shows he is just as comfortable acting as he is singing. Farida Jalal, another legend, is just as graceful, although the use of profanity in her character seems forced. Disha Patani doesn’t have much to offer, except for an item number. Her role feels irrelevant. Her song, even more! Aruna Irani has fewer dialogues. Tamannah Bhatia is yet another on the list. In the scene or two that she has, she has done her job well as an undercover agent, disguised as a psycho. Vikrant Massey, as Mehmood, also has limited time. Yet, he does an okay job.
Direction
It is Vishal Bhardwaj’s film. So, the expectations are naturally high. Especially after Omkara, Kaminey, and Haider. But O Romeo struggles to live up to those gold standards. Why?
The movie does exceptionally well in the emotions department. Each intense scene appears perfectly written, directed, and curated to create the dramatic effect. Actors have also given their best, especially Tripti Dimri, who looks so convincing as the tragic lady. Shahid Kapoor, as a seasoned actor, is just as polished and balanced.
However, action scenes struggle. They seem exaggerated and fabricated. For example, the first fight scene in the movie theater in the backdrop of Dhak-Dhak Karne Laga seems ok initially and builds momentum. But later, it feels artificial when Ustara single-handedly combats hundreds of bald bodyguards with his never-ending supply of razors.
The movie has a few other forgettable action sequences that the 21st-century audiences simply cannot digest (or precisely, aren’t used to watching anymore). The last sequence in Spain looks stretched as Ustara does several video game stunts and then abruptly wraps up in the end when he almost kills Jalal with just a few cuts and punches.
Pacing, Screenplay, and Music
At 178 minutes, the runtime seems bloated. A 30-minute trim could have made it tighter and better. But Bollywood refuses to step out of that a song-per-situation thing. The item song is understood. But who needs a song while traveling overseas? Just because Shahid Kapoor is a phenomenal dancer?
However, why blame the songs alone? The story is inherently slow-paced. Scenes seem extended and irrelevant. Shahid Kapoor’s scene with a prostitute seems extraneous. His search for the passport – not required. Dramatic shifts from Mumbai to Spain feel disconnected. Jalal could have been just as terrifying as a local mafia. So, why Spain? The screenplay appears to meander where it should grip. It could have been tighter, yet more intriguing. 120 minutes, and we would have been happy. Music is ok. Nothing much to say. But the choreography shines and makes the songs watchable.
Final Verdict
Vishal Bhardwaj has a knack for creating multiple cinematic worlds in a single story. But this time, he looked a little out of touch. Therefore, the movie has more lows than highs. Shahid Kapoor looks great at full throttle. But actors don’t write screenplays. Hence, sadly, his performance might not save the movie’s weak screenplay.
If you love watching flesh and blood on screen, you have plenty to savor. But if you try to search for logic in between scenes and shifts, you will be returning home disappointed.
So compelling, yet flawed. O Romeo is likely to be an above-average grosser.
