New Delhi: As O’ Romeo stormed into theatres, filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj shared an emotional note on Instagram, expressing pride in the film even before critics and the box office deliver their verdict. Several members of the film industry came out in support of the director, including Sutapa Sikdar, wife of late actor Irrfan Khan and a close friend of Bhardwaj.
Sutapa Sikdar commented on Vishal Bhardwaj’s post, revealing that O’ Romeo was originally titled Sapna Didi and had once been offered to Irrfan Khan.
She wrote, “Aapko bahut bahut mubarak! Bahut pehle aapne yeh sapna dekha tha, tab iska naam Sapna Didi tha. Aapka sapna poora hua aur aap sapne dekhte dekhte Romeo ban gaye. Aapko salaam aur duniya mein zulm khatam hone ka sapna dekhte rehna chahiye! All the best @vishalrbhardwaj @rekha_bhardwaj. @irrfan is sending you best wishes from heaven (sic).”
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Vishal Bhardwaj’s Post
Filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj penned a heartfelt note about O’ Romeo just a day before the film’s release. Taking to Instagram, he expressed immense pride in the project.
In a long note, Bhardwaj gave a special shoutout to his entire team, calling them the “real heroes.”
“O’ ROMEO – Before the critics speak and before the box office delivers its verdict, I feel compelled to share how deeply proud I am of this film. Before the accolades or the criticism arrive, I must thank, from the deepest part of my being, all my HODs who gave far more than was ever asked of them — their vision, their integrity, their sweat, their blood, and their unconditional commitment to my vision.
My real heroes: Mustafa Stationwala, Faramarz Wankadia, Ben Bernhard, Meghdeep Bose, Aarif Sheikh, Maxima Basu, Dani Del Rosario, Vikram Dahiya, Ankur Chaudhary, Yash Darji, Shantanu Yennemadi, Krutika Jain, Mukesh Chhabra, Makarand Surte, Justin Jose, Samir Zaidi, Konstantin Minnich, Saurabh Goswami and ‘Anl’ Arasu.
Also, my most loving associate, Abhay Datt Sharma — who shared my love, pain, frustration, and both my reasonable and unreasonable whims — and my creative producer, Priti Shahani. I will not make another film without her,” he wrote.
He went on to speak about humanity’s “immense capacity” for both love and violence, adding:
“Looking back at my body of work, I see a recurring theme I wasn’t even conscious of: revenge. And at sixty, I am only now beginning to understand it. There is so much hatred, violence, and injustice in society, and I often feel powerless against it. It wounds me deeply.”
Bhardwaj further explained how O’ Romeo channels this “pent-up anguish” through violence set against an equally intense force — love.
“I am in love with this species called human, forever torn between two extreme emotions. O’ Romeo is the manifestation of these polarities,” he added.
About O’ Romeo
The action drama also stars Nana Patekar, Vikrant Massey, and Avinash Tiwary in pivotal roles.
The film has completed its censor formalities and has received an ‘A’ (Adults Only) certificate from the **Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). According to trade tracking site Sacnilk, the Vishal Bhardwaj directorial has a theatrical runtime of 2 hours and 58 minutes.