For years, rumours of a rift between Shahid Kapoor and director Vishal Bhardwaj have followed their successful collaborations. From Kaminey to Haider, their work together has been widely admired. However, speculation about tension between the two never completely went away. Now, Vishal Bhardwaj has finally reacted to these rumours. He did so with humour and honesty while promoting his upcoming film O Romeo. The director addressed the topic at the film’s trailer launch in Mumbai on Wednesday.
O Romeo stars Shahid Kapoor and Triptii Dimri. It marks yet another collaboration between Vishal and Shahid. During his interaction with the media, Vishal made it clear that the rumours do not reflect reality.
Vishal Bhardwaj REACTS To Rumours Of Rift With Shahid Kapoor
Talking about how people view his working relationship with Shahid, Vishal joked about his own reputation on set. He said, “Sorry, but main ek baat bolna chahunga. Mujhe jhijhak aa rahi hai, but main yeh kahani ke liye bolna chahunga ke mujhe ab tak 9 National Awards mile hain. Mere directors friends mujhe chedhte hain ke mujhe 10th wala milma chaiyeh ke tumne Shahid Kapoor ke saath 4 filmein ki hain (I’m hesitating to share this, but I have to for the story. I’ve won nine National Awards so far. It may sound like I’m being arrogant about my achievements, but this context is important. My director friends often joke with me that I should win my tenth National Award just for working with Shahid on four films).”
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Instead of blaming Shahid, he described himself as a challenging director. He added, “Main kitna difficult aadmi hun woh Shahid janta hai. Woh mere passive aggression ko samjhta hai. I am a very difficult man to work with. I think Shahid ko ek National Award milna chaiyeh mere saath 4 filmein karne ke liye (But they don’t know how difficult a person I’m to work with. Only Shahid knows this. He understands my passive aggression. I think Shahid should win a National Award for working with me on four films).”
With these remarks, Vishal dismissed rumours of a rift and highlighted the trust and understanding he shares with Shahid.
Sajid Nadiadwala’s Faith In O Romeo
Vishal Bhardwaj also spoke about producer Sajid Nadiadwala and his strong belief in O Romeo. He shared how Sajid often pushed back when creative choices could affect perception.
Recalling one such moment, Vishal said, “He went all out. There were times when I would suggest placing an item song at a particular point in the film. He would reply – Nahin. Wahan pe rakhoge toh log bolenge ki Sajid Nadiadwala ne wahan gaana rakhwa diya hai. Toh kam se kam aap meri izzat ke liye aisa mat kijiye (laughs).”
He added, “Humne ek rupaye mein 5 rupaye ki film banani ki koshish ki hai. Our vision kept increasing, not because of me but Sajid Bhai. I suggested shooting in Georgia as it would be cheaper. He said – Phir toh mazaa hi nahin aayega. Why don’t we shoot in Portugal or Spain? When I remarked that ‘Paise zyada lagenge’, he replied, ‘Aap ke paise lagenge kya?’ Yeh film jitni budget pe bani hai, utni haisiyat nahin hai meri as a director. But Sajid Bhai had conviction in me and the project.”
For the unversed, O Romeo is scheduled to release in cinemas on February 13.
