‘Poor critics’: Vishal Bhardwaj hits back at detractors of O’Romeo, reveals why he thanked Aamir Khan in the film

3 min readMumbaiFeb 19, 2026 06:22 PM IST

Filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj has reunited with Shahid Kapoor for the fourth time in O Romeo, which hit theatres last weekend. The film, however, opened to mixed reviews, drawing criticism for what some called an inert love story and excessive violence. Despite the divided critical reception, Vishal remains unfazed.

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Speaking to news agency PTI, the director said he is immensely proud of the film and confident about its success. “Poor critics who have spoken negatively, I have to say this even if it breaks their hearts, whether they liked it or not, this film is going to be the most successful film of my life. I am not ashamed of anything at all. I am extremely happy and proud of the violence and the love story I have created in this film.”

Vishal Bhardwaj also recently revealed why he thanked Aamir Khan at the very beginning of O Romeo. In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, he shared that Aamir had expressed interest in hearing the script of the film. “Aamir wanted to hear the script of O’Romeo. And when he heard it, he gave me this idea that someone should be killed at a crucial point in the film,” Vishal said.

That suggestion, he explained, stayed with him and eventually led to a major rewrite of the screenplay. The change resulted in the pivotal scene in which lawyer Anjum Ansari, played by Resh Lamba, is murdered in a restaurant. “Killing the lawyer Anjum Ansari (Resh Lamba) in the restaurant was his idea. This is the reason why I thanked him. This suggestion changed so many things for me. Because from there, the protagonist, Ustara (Shahid Kapoor), gets attracted towards the girl (Afshan, Triptii Dimri). He realises, ‘Oh my God, she can do anything to exact revenge.’”

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He further explained how that moment becomes the foundation of the film’s emotional arc. “So, the whole love story starts from there. That was a big plot point for me. And that’s why I wanted to thank Aamir from the bottom of my heart.”

At the box office, O Romeo has performed decently so far, collecting Rs 43.85 crore. The film has already surpassed the lifetime domestic collections of Vishal Bhardwaj and Shahid Kapoor’s previous collaborations, Rangoon (Rs 20.76 crore) and Kaminey (Rs 41.3 crore). However, it still trails behind their most celebrated partnership, Haider, which earned Rs 55.93 crore during its lifetime run in India.

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