New Delhi: Shahid Kapoor’s upcoming film O Romeo dodges a last-minute legal bullet. A Mumbai court has cleared the decks for its February 13 release, rejecting a plea from the late gangster Hussain Ustara’s daughter.
She claimed the movie rips off her father’s life story without permission. But the judge said no dice—her case doesn’t hold water, especially after she demanded cash from the makers first. Lights, camera, action—unchanged.
Court rejects stay plea on O Romeo
A Mumbai civil court refused to stall the release of O Romeo, starring Shahid Kapoor and Triptii Dimri, directed by Vishal Bhardwaj. Sanober Shaikh, daughter of late gangster Hussain Shaikh alias Hussain Ustara, had filed a suit against producer Sajjid Nadiadwala, director Vishal Bhardwaj, and author Hussain Zaidi. She alleged the film’s theme is “entirely based on her deceased father, who has been portrayed as a gangster,” and claimed no prior consent was taken from her family.
Civil court judge H C Shende ruled that Sanober “failed to establish a case for an injunction.” The order, passed on Saturday, noted her prior demands for monetary compensation from Rs 1 crore to Rs 5 crore in notices to the makers, making an immediate injunction “impermissible in the eye of law.”
Makers defend fiction claim
The film’s lawyers, advocates Ashwin Bhalekar and Rishi Bhuta, argued it is a “pure work of fiction” with clear disclaimers. They highlighted Sanober’s money demands as proof that “the grievance is purely monetary.”
The court also flagged a delay: “The plaintiff was well aware of the proposed film much before filing suit, yet approached the court only when the release date was imminent.” It denied pre-screening, calling it “judicial censorship,” which is not allowed under the law.
Next steps and film buzz
Sanober’s advocate said they will challenge the verdict in the Bombay High Court. O Romeo is a gangster drama packed with action, violence, and romance. Shahid plays a gunman in this third team-up with Vishal after Haider and Kaminey. The cast includes Avinash Tiwary, Farida Jalal, Vikrant Massey, Nana Patekar, Tamannaah Bhatia, and Disha Patani. It hits theatres on February 13.