Bollywood star Shahid Kapoor’s much-awaited gangster romance film, O Romeo, released in theaters today, February 13th.
In addition to Shahid Kapoor, Tripti Dimri and Nana Patekar also star. Find out how the film is.
The spices are always the same—black cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, etc.—but their flavor changes with the hands used. Gory action dramas, epic songs, and love stories are the most popular spices in Bollywood these days. But in the hands of a top-notch cinematic chef like Vishal Bhardwaj, we decided to taste “O Romeo” hoping these spices would take on a different flavor. Half of Vishal’s dish has been finished, and so far, it’s quite delicious.
A First Half Filled with the Best of Filmmaking
“O Romeo” begins with Shahid Kapoor’s most explosive introduction of his career. Shahid plays Ustra, a dreaded gangster who commits murders with a razor. His razor is so sharp that it can cut the soul from the body.
Only one master can make this self-willed gangster dance to his tune: Khan Sahib (Nana Patekar). Khan Sahib is an IB cop who uses the razor’s edge to solve crimes.
Unheard tunes in Ustra’s life begin to play the day Afshan (Tripti Dimri) enters. Afshan has come to deliver the contract, along with Ustra’s partner, the dreaded gangster Jalal (Avinash Tiwari) and his three associates.
The motive behind Afshan’s contract killing is revenge. What kind of revenge, revenge for what? If you see all this in the film itself, the excitement will be palpable.
With Vishal’s excellent filmmaking and a garnish of 90s songs, the first half of “O Romeo” is quite packed. The story is given ample time to develop, the tension to build within the scenes, and the love affair to settle. Where the pace should be fast, it is. Where there should be a pause to savor, there is a pause.
All the actors’ work looks lively. Just before the interval, the main villain of the story, Jalal, played by Avinash Tiwari, makes a strong entry. And it is said that the film begins with the villain’s entry. Now let’s see what happens next.
