O Romeo Review: Shahid Kapoor, Triptii Dimri shine in Vishal Bhardwaj’s tale of love and revenge

PlotThe famous idiom, “That’s the kind of love you go to war for,” forms the central crux of ace filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj’s O Romeo, starring Shahid Kapoor (Ustara), Triptii Dimri (Afshan Qureshi) and Avinash Tiwary (Jalal) in pivotal roles.

Childhood sweethearts Afshan and Mehboob’s love story blossoms into marriage, only for tragedy to strike when Mehboob passes away because of gangster Jalal, aided by a corrupt police officer, a lawyer and a local politician. Thereafter, Afshan’s sole motive becomes avenging her husband’s death. She seeks help from the infamous Ustara.

However, what begins as a tale of revenge soon becomes a story of hearts entangled in unexpected ways. Will Afshan get her revenge? Does Ustara truly help her? And what unfolds between Afshan and Ustara forms the emotional and dramatic core of O Romeo.

What WorksThe film follows a familiar formula, hero, heroine and villain, but with the right intent, casting, screenplay and direction, it manages to win hearts. If you are a lover of the Vishal Bhardwaj cinematic universe, you will feel right at home.

The dialogues are sharp and memorable. The recreation of old South Bombay evokes nostalgia. The action choreography is gripping, and the climactic face-off Xxcfr!V between Ustara and Jalal is particularly noteworthy.

What Doesn’tA few scenes feel unrealistic, and certain situations are questionable, aspects that cannot simply be brushed aside as cinematic liberty. Given that this is a Vishal Bhardwaj film, where usually the entire jukebox lingers in your mind, only the title track Hum Toh Tere Hi Liye The and the title track truly stay with you. The film could also have been crisper in its editing.

Watch the trailer of O Romeo here:

Performances

- Triptii Dimri feels redeemed under Vishal Bhardwaj’s direction. After films like Animal and Bad Newz, audiences finally get to see the Triptii who captivated everyone in Qala, Bulbbul and Laila Majnu through a nuanced and fine performance.

- Shahid Kapoor excels as Ustara and completely immerses himself in the character, owning every frame he steps into. There are moments where you may feel you’ve seen him in similar territory before, but perhaps that’s the price of delivering performances so powerful that you become your own benchmark.

- Nana Patekar as Inspector Ismail Khan plays an extremely layered character, and his camaraderie with Shahid’s Ustara is heartening to watch.

- Avinash Tiwary, as the antagonist, will make you hate him, and that’s a compliment. His body language, minute nuances and voice modulation make Jalal truly menacing. He is that good.

- Vikrant Massey and Tamannaah Bhatia make the most of their limited screen time.

- Aruna Irani is a delight to watch and remains unforgettable despite minimal screen presence.

Final VerdictIf you are a sucker for complex love stories layered with passion, betrayal and violence, this Vishal Bhardwaj rendition is for you. This Valentine’s, it’s all red, not hearts, but blood and gore.