O Romeo – No Romeo- Shendi!!! PK Verdict: Tin⭐️⭐️

O Romeo – No Romeo- Shendi!!!

The combination of Shahid Kapoor and Vishal Bhardwaj has always been a treat for cinema lovers. When these two come together, the result is often electric, layered, and unforgettable. Haider is a prime example—intense, raw, and emotionally resonant, a film that lingers long after the credits roll. Unfortunately, O Romeo lands on the exact opposite end of that spectrum. This is a film that promises brilliance on paper but delivers monotony on screen.

Shahid Kapoor as Ustara has no real depth to explain why he is the way he is, or why he becomes a muse to Nana Patekar’s character. The writing doesn’t carve him out strongly enough for the audience to connect with him. We’ve seen Shahid Kapoor portray menace with far more layers and emotional intensity in the past. Here, Romeo simply falls flat. The performance lacks the inner turmoil and complexity that could have made the character compelling.

Tripti Dimri indeed is the only actor in the film who has an arc, a graph from her start till the end. She delivers and is the only bright spark. Her performance is nuanced, measured, and compelling—but brilliance in one corner cannot save an otherwise collapsing structure. The rest of the ensemble, impressive on paper, fails to ignite. Characters float in and out without leaving an emotional mark, and the story—though seemingly promising—refuses to take flight.

Films live and breathe through the emotions their characters evoke, and O Romeo remains emotionally barren throughout its long runtime. Scenes that should strike a chord end up feeling mechanical; the audience is left cold, disconnected, and restless.

They played Sridevi’s I Love You to Madhuri’s Dhak Dhak with no hearbeat whatsoever. While in the original song Ouch was just once, here its multiple times as the action scene never gets over while Romeo plays his ustara. Iconic songs are mishandled,  adding to a growing sense of disappointment. The film dishes out multiple “ouch” moments, moments that make you cringe rather than connect, and they linger uncomfortably, stretching over three hours that feel much longer.

Veteran actors like Nana Patekar, Aruna Irani, and Farida Jalal are present and bring flashes of charm, but they are underutilized and given little substance to elevate the film. Supporting actors Vikrant Massey and Tamannaah Bhatia barely leave an impression, as if they could have been anyone else and the story would remain just as hollow. Avinash Tiwary’s character as the main villain lacks menace or presence; he only begins to register after Tripti Dimri’s character reaches the climax—a delayed impact that comes too late to matter.

The film repeats tropes and beats familiar from the actor-director duo’s past works, but the magic, the layering, the emotional intensity—none of it is here. The signature Vishal Bhardwaj touch—haunting music, clever dialogue, psychological depth—is conspicuously absent. Instead, what we get is a film that feels like a missed opportunity, a movie where talent is present but misfired at every corner.

In the end, O Romeo is a frustrating experience. One expects sparks, intensity, and memorable cinema from this pairing. Instead, you get disappointment, wasted talent, and a story that fails to land. It’s not painful to watch in the sense of being unbearable, but it’s painful in the sense of what it could have been versus what it actually is. A film that had the potential to be a masterpiece ends up being a bland, emotionally disconnected experience.

Doesn’t look like A Vishal Bhardwaj Film!!! Koun Shendi Laga raha hai Bh******.

PK Verdict: Tin⭐️⭐️