O'Romeo

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.

Ustara, upon seeing her conviction, cancels his plan to escape India and decides to help Afshan. With time Afshan and Ustara bond and he falls in love with her, but as Afshan is scared and reluctant to pursue her quest for revenge further, Ustara motivates her and trains her in combat and shooting. Ismail orders Ustara to help seize Jalal's upcoming drug shipment in Kathmandu, Nepal. Ustara, Afshan and the gang leave for the mission to seize Jalal's docket, but the gang is trapped and caught by Jalal's men, and several of Ustara's gang members are killed. After Afshan helps the gang to escape, Ustara cremates his dead men, and confesses his love to her.

The next day, Ustara finds Afshan missing and Jalal orders his men to double the drug production, as Jayesh Duggal, the financer who could have helped them cope with the losses, had been killed by Ustara as well. Jalal's wife Rabia is revealed to be psychologically unstable after losing her child, for which Jalal considers Ustara responsible. As Jalal has recently suffered a huge loss, and has speeded up the drug work to cope up, Ismail suggests Ustara that it would be a great time to attack Jalal's drug factory and eradicate Jalal's drug empire in India. In return, Ustara asks for Ismail's help to find Afshan.

Production

Filming

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

Theatrical

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.

Home media

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

Critical response

O'Romeo received mixed reviews from critics. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 46% of 13 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.4/10.

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."

Rishabh Suri of Hindustan Times rated the film 3 stars out of 5 and wrote, "Overall, O’Romeo has moments that remind you why Bhardwaj remains one of our most distinctive filmmakers, but they are scattered across a narrative that loses emotional clarity along the way. Despite Shahid’s wild energy and a few stylish flourishes, the film struggles to find its emotional core. It is watchable, even fun in parts, but rarely affecting in the way Bhardwaj’s best work is. You walk out entertained in flashes... and strangely unmoved." Tanmayi Savadi of Times Now rated the film 3 stars out of 5 and wrote, "O’ Romeo isn't a bad film nor a masterpiece. It has a lot of loose ends and unexplained connections. Due to this, it becomes difficult to join dots and feel characters and their purposes. With excellent performances, and Vishal's ability to tell a fairly engaging story for 3 hours, O’ Romeo can be watched with loved ones and parents, only if violence, abuses and bloodshed are palatable."

Box office

The film collected ₹8.25 crore on opening day.