The O Romeo movie reunited Shahid Kapoor and Vishal Bhardwaj for a blood-soaked gangster romance set in 1990s Bombay. Here are six facts about the Valentine’s release, from its true-crime source to its box office fall.
The O Romeo movie, officially styled O’Romeo, stars Shahid Kapoor as Ustara, a hitman who kills with a barber’s razor, and Triptii Dimri as Afshan, a widow who wants four men dead. Vishal Bhardwaj directed it from Hussain Zaidi’s non-fiction book Mafia Queens of Mumbai, and it opened on 13 February 2026, timed for Valentine’s Day weekend.
It made a solid start and then faded, finishing as a commercial failure. It has been streaming on Prime Video since 10 April 2026.
O Romeo movie at a glance
- Release date: 13 February 2026
- Director: Vishal Bhardwaj
- Writers: Vishal Bhardwaj and Rohan Narula, from a story by Hussain Zaidi
- Producer: Sajid Nadiadwala for Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, with VB Pictures
- Music: Vishal Bhardwaj, with lyrics by Gulzar
- Runtime: 178 minutes
- Certificate: A (adults only) for graphic violence and strong language
- Reported budget: ₹125 to 150 crore
- Streaming: Prime Video from 10 April 2026
1. The O Romeo movie is set in 1995 Bombay
Ustara is a feared killer kept on a leash by intelligence officer Ismail Khan, played by Nana Patekar, who once saved him from Jalal, a Spain-based gangster whose brother Ustara murdered. Ismail has used him as a covert weapon ever since.
His latest order is to kill Jayesh Duggal, Jalal’s financier. Ustara carries out the job at a theatre, though it is Ismail who finally shoots Duggal as he tries to escape.
Tired of taking orders, Ustara plans to escape to Fiji. Then Afshan walks into his life and asks him to kill four men. He refuses and humiliates her, and that is only the beginning.
2. It is based on Mafia Queens of Mumbai
The film takes its story from Hussain Zaidi’s Mafia Queens of Mumbai, and Zaidi has the story credit. Bhardwaj wrote the screenplay with Rohan Narula and wrote the dialogue himself.
Expect the darkness that comes with the territory. The CBFC passed the O Romeo movie with an A certificate for graphic violence and strong language, and reportedly asked for a slapping scene to be trimmed by 20%.
3. The O Romeo movie is Shahid and Bhardwaj’s fourth film together
The pair first worked together on Kaminey in 2009, followed by Haider in 2014, the Hamlet chapter of Bhardwaj’s Shakespeare trilogy, and Rangoon in 2017. Few directors get as much out of Shahid.
As always with Bhardwaj, the music matters. He composed the soundtrack himself, Gulzar wrote the lyrics, and T-Series released “Hum To Tere Hi Liye The”, “Aashiqon Ki Colony” and “Ishq Ka Fever” in the weeks before release. The Valentine’s Day date was announced in September 2025, with Pen Marudhar distributing.
The film was shot between January and August 2025, mainly in Mumbai and Spain, with Ben Bernhard behind the camera.
4. Two stars took no fee for their cameos
The O Romeo movie packs its cast with familiar faces, including four well-known names in special appearances.
- Shahid Kapoor as Ustara
- Triptii Dimri as Afshan Qureshi
- Nana Patekar as DCP Ismail Khan
- Avinash Tiwary as Jalal
- Farida Jalal as Dadi, with Rahul Khanna as Rafeeq
- Tamannaah Bhatia, Vikrant Massey, Disha Patani and Aruna Irani in special appearances
Two of those cameos came free. As Bhardwaj revealed, Vikrant Massey and Tamannaah Bhatia acted without a fee. Massey had promised years earlier, before his rise, and Tamannaah shot for about 12 days, more than planned. On screen she plays Rabia Jalaluddin Shah, while Disha Patani plays Julie.
5. The O Romeo movie opened well, then flopped
The first three days brought in ₹34.2 crore, which Variety India reported as Shahid’s third-biggest opening weekend. Only Padmaavat, with ₹114 crore over a four-day weekend, and Kabir Singh, with ₹70.83 crore, did better, and it edged past Udta Punjab at ₹33.80 crore and Shaandaar at ₹27.10 crore.
The momentum did not last. The Free Press Journal’s first-quarter round-up lists ₹72.89 crore in India against a ₹125 to 150 crore budget and calls the film a flop.
The film’s Wikipedia entry currently estimates its total gross at ₹123.10 crore and records it as a commercial failure. Tu Yaa Main, released the same weekend, fared worse at ₹7.31 crore.
6. Critics were split on the O Romeo movie
Rotten Tomatoes counted 46% positive from 13 reviews. News18 was the most generous with 4 out of 5, while The Times of India, NDTV, Firstpost and Filmfare’s Devesh Sharma all gave 3.5.
Others were cooler. Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave 2.5 and called it “high on style and swag, low on substance”, and Deccan Herald went lowest with 1.5. The Hindu summed up the divide in its headline: “Shahid Kapoor soars, Vishal Bhardwaj struggles.”
In between, Bollywood Hungama, Hindustan Times and Times Now gave 3, while India Today, Outlook India, India TV and Moneycontrol settled on 2.5. Rahul Desai of The Hollywood Reporter India wrote that it “fails to make a dent” in the Bombay gangster genre.
Where to watch the O Romeo movie
Prime Video bought the post-theatrical rights, and the film has streamed there since 10 April 2026. Catalogues differ by country, so viewers in the UAE should search for it in the Prime Video app. With its A certificate, it is one for adult viewers only.
O Romeo movie FAQs
Is O’Romeo based on a true story?
It is based on Hussain Zaidi’s non-fiction book Mafia Queens of Mumbai, with Zaidi credited for the story.
Is O’Romeo a hit or a flop?
A flop. Despite Shahid’s third-biggest opening weekend, the O Romeo movie made about ₹72.89 crore in India against a reported ₹125 to 150 crore budget.
How many films have Shahid Kapoor and Vishal Bhardwaj made together?
Four: Kaminey, Haider, Rangoon and O’Romeo.
Read our O’Romeo review, and find more in our Bollywood section.