Shahid Kapoor starrer O Romeo has landed in legal trouble days before its planned theatrical release. The controversy has emerged after Sanober Shaikh, the daughter of late Hussain Ustara, approached a Mumbai civil court seeking to stop the film’s release. She has alleged that the film is an unauthorised biopic of her father and that it presents his life in a false and damaging manner.
According to the lawsuit filed on Monday, Sanober has sought a permanent injunction against the makers of O Romeo, which is directed by Vishal Bhardwaj and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala. The Shahid Kapoor starrer is scheduled to hit cinemas on February 13. However, the matter is now set to be heard by the court on February 6.
Hussain Ustara’s Daughter Moves Court Against O Romeo
In her civil suit, Sanober Shaikh has named producer Sajid Nadiadwala, director Vishal Bhardwaj, and journalist-author S. Hussain Zaidi as defendants. Shahid Kapoor plays the character of Hussain Ustara in the film, which is inspired by a chapter from Zaidi’s book Mafia Queens of Mumbai.
Sanober has claimed that the film was made without her consent and accused the makers of producing it with the “intent of commercial and monetary gain”. Through her advocate, DV Saroj, she argued that O Romeo portrays her father as a gangster, which she says is misleading and harmful.
The suit states that the film’s release could cause “irreparable injury” to her and her children, adding that they have “every right to live in the world in peace and a good atmosphere”. It further mentions, “The release of the movie containing a false portrayal would have a serious implication on the plaintiffs’ family members.”
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Sanober also argued that her father had helped prevent crimes across Mumbai and other parts of India by assisting the police in tracking criminals. She accused the filmmakers of “exploiting a human tragedy for commercial gain” and claimed that the film would “besmirch the character of a dead person”.
Clarification On Legal Notice
The lawsuit also refers to legal notices previously sent by Sanober to the filmmakers. According to her, the replies from Vishal Bhardwaj and the production house denied her allegations and maintained that O Romeo is a “work of fiction”.
However, Sanober submitted material to the court to support her claim that the film is directly linked to her father. This reportedly includes a podcast interview in which a former police officer connected the story of O Romeo to Hussain Ustara.
Sanober has urged the court to restrain the makers from releasing the film in theatres, on television, or on any OTT platform on February 13 or later. After the teaser release in January, she told Hindustan Times, “They are claiming and showing wrong things about my father. They are saying that we threatened them and asked for Rs 2 crore. That’s wrong. They are making such claims for publicity of the film. We have sent them a legal notice.”
Addressing the issue earlier at the film’s trailer launch, Vishal Bhardwaj defended his position. He said, “This film is from the book, Mafia Queens of Mumbai, by Hussain Zaidi, and I’ve taken the rights of this story. I didn’t think (of the permission). The germ of the idea and the characters are the same, but we’ve added a lot of fictional elements, which permission Hussain Zaidi sahab has taken or should’ve taken. I don’t think it was needed for me to take permission because it is based on a book.”
O Romeo is set in post-independence Mumbai and explores the rise of the underworld. Alongside Shahid Kapoor, the film stars Triptii Dimri, Nana Patekar, Avinash Tiwary, Vikrant Massey, Tamannaah Bhatia, Disha Patani, and Farida Jalal. With the court hearing just days away, it remains to be seen whether the legal challenge will impact the film’s scheduled release.
