O Romeo director Vishal Bharadwaj BREAKS silence on Hussain Ustara's family's allegations: 'Muje nahi lagta..'

A debate has surfaced around Vishal Bhardwaj’s upcoming film O Romeo even before its release, drawing attention to the source material behind the project. The film has become a subject of discussion after members of the family of Hussain Ustara expressed their displeasure, claiming that the makers did not seek their consent before adapting a story inspired by his life. This objection has led to questions about creative rights, permissions and the boundaries between real life events and cinematic interpretation.

The issue was addressed when the trailer of O Romeo was unveiled at a large scale event held in Mumbai on Wednesday. During the interaction with the media, Vishal Bhardwaj responded to the controversy and clarified his stand. The filmmaker explained that the film is adapted from a published literary work rather than directly from personal accounts. Speaking about the matter, he said, "Mafia Queens of Mumbai karke ek book hai. Hussain Zaidi sahab ne woh kahaani likhi hai. Maine uss kahaani ke rights liye aur uske upar yeh film banayi hai. Uss kahaani pe based hai aur characters wahi hai, magar isme hamara fictional bhi bahot hai.''

Bhardwaj further shared his understanding of the permission process and where the responsibility lies. He stated, "Woh permission shayadse Hussain Zaidi sahab ko leni chahiye thi ya li hogi. Toh mujhe nahi lagta tha ke mujhe koi zarorat hai, because it is based on a story which is a part of a book.'' Through this explanation, the director emphasized that his agreement was with the author of the book and not with individuals connected to the real life figures.

Woh permission shayadse Hussain Zaidi sahab ko leni chahiye thi ya li hogi. Toh mujhe nahi lagta tha ke mujhe koi zarorat hai, because it is based on a story which is a part of a book.

- Vishal Bharadwaj

O Romeo features Shahid Kapoor and Triptii Dimri in lead roles and is loosely inspired by the story of Hussain Ustara and Sapna Didi, as documented in Hussain Zaidi’s book Mafia Queens of Mumbai. While the characters and setting draw from known events, Bhardwaj has maintained that the film also contains significant fictional elements.

Despite the objections raised by Hussain Ustara’s family, the makers appear confident about the legal and creative foundation of the project. With the trailer now out, the film continues to generate interest, not only for its star cast and director but also for the conversation surrounding its origins and interpretation of real life stories.