Tamannaah Bhatia and Vikrant Massey did O Romeo for free, reveals director Vishal Bhardwaj

O Romeo stars Shahid Kapoor and Triptii Dimri in lead roles. The film will be released in theatres on February 13.

Vishal Bhardwaj's upcoming film O Romeo, starring Shahid Kapoor and Triptii Dimri in the lead roles, is gearing up for release on February 13. The romantic drama also stars Disha Patani, Avinash Tiwary, Tamannaah Bhatia, Farida Jalal, Vikrant Massey and Nana Patekar. Did you know that Tamannaah and Vikrant agreed to do O Romeo for free? Director Vishal Bhardwaj has revealed that the two actors did not charge any fee for doing the film. (Also read: Court refuses to stall release of Shahid Kapoor's O Romeo, says Hussain Ustara's daughter 'failed to establish a case')

Tamannaah Bhatia and Vikrant Massey have key supporting roles in O Romeo.

What Vishal Bhardwaj said

Speaking about Vikrant Massey, Vishal Bhardwaj shared that the actor had committed to O’Romeo years ago when he was still an emerging talent. Despite becoming a major star after 12th Fail, Vikrant honoured that promise when approached again, choosing to do the role free of cost. The actor told Bhardwaj that watching Maqbool inspired him to enter the film industry and changed his life forever, and that this special appearance was his way of paying tribute. Vikrant shot for nearly 8–9 days.

Tamannaah came on to shoot for nearly 12 days

The director of films like Omkara, Haider and Maqbool further revealed that Tamannaah Bhatia also agreed to be part of O’Romeo without charging a single penny, despite budget constraints. Though her role is brief, it plays a crucial part in unveiling a major plot twist in the film. Tamannaah immediately said yes when approached and went on to shoot for nearly 12 days, far more than initially planned. She also participated in workshops and rehearsals to prepare for the layered character. Her commitment and generosity, Bhardwaj noted, left a lasting impact on the film.

O Romeo marks director Vishal Bhardwaj’s third collaboration with Shahid. The two have previously collaborated on critically acclaimed films such as Kaminey (2009) and Haider (2014), both of which showcased Shahid in some of his most celebrated performances.

The makers or the cast have not specified if O Romeo is indeed based on Hussain Ustara’s life and death or not. Hussain was a Mumbai-based gangster who famously feuded with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. The film draws from the story of Hussain Ustara from the journalist-author Hussain Zaidi's book Mafia Queens of Mumbai.