Before Shahid-Triptii, 'O'Romeo' was an Irrfan-Deepika project!
What's the story
Vishal Bhardwaj's upcoming crime thriller O'Romeo is facing legal trouble. The daughter of real-life gangster Hussain Ustra, on whom Shahid Kapoor's character is reportedly based, has filed a lawsuit against the makers. She has demanded ₹2 crore for allegedly using her father's life without permission. This film is inspired by a chapter from journalist-turned-author Hussain S Zaidi's book Mafia Queens of Mumbai (2011).
Plot details
'O'Romeo' explores dynamics between 3 notorious Mumbai gangsters
The chapter that O'Romeo is based on delves into the relationships between three infamous Mumbai gangsters of the 1990s - Ustra, Sapna Didi (Triptii Dimri), and Dawood Ibrahim (Nana Patekar). It narrates how Ashraf Khan aka Sapna Didi seeks revenge from Ibrahim for her husband Mehmood Kaliya (Vikrant Massey)'s police encounter. She teams up with Ustra to plot Ibrahim's assassination at a Sharjah cricket match, however, fail in their ploy.
Casting changes
'O'Romeo' was originally titled 'Rani' with Khan, Padukone
Before it became O'Romeo, the film was initially planned with the late actor Irrfan Khan as Ustra and Deepika Padukone as Sapna Didi. They were signed in 2017 under casting director Honey Trehan's direction. However, production delays due to various reasons, including creative differences between Trehan and his mentor Bhardwaj, Khan's rare cancer diagnosis, and the COVID-19 lockdown, led to a complete overhaul of the team and title.
Production hurdles
'O'Romeo' faced further delays and cast changes
After Khan's death in April 2020, the film was put on hold. It wasn't until two years later that Bhardwaj revived the project with producer Sajid Nadiadwala's support. However, since Khan was no longer available and Padukone had other commitments, Kapoor and Dimri were brought in as new leads. Randeep Hooda was originally cast but opted out days before shooting started; he was replaced by Avinash Tiwary.
Release date
'O'Romeo' to release in February
Despite the legal trouble, O'Romeo is still on track for its scheduled release. The film is set to hit theaters on February 13. The ensemble cast also includes Tiwary, Disha Patani, and Farida Jalal.