A Mumbai civil court refused to stop the release of Shahid Kapoor-starrer O Romeo, holding that Hussain Ustara’s daughter failed to prove grounds for an injunction. The court noted delay in filing the suit and said the dispute appeared “purely monetary”, allowing the film’s release to go ahead.
The upcoming Hindi film O Romeo, directed by Vishal Bhardwaj and starring Shahid Kapoor and Triptii Dimri, has received major legal relief after a Mumbai civil court refused to stop its theatrical release. The court dismissed a plea filed by Sanober Shaikh, the daughter of late gangster Hussain Shaikh, also known as Hussain Ustara, who had claimed that the film was based on her father’s life.
The lawsuit was filed by Sanober Shaikh against the film’s producer Sajid Nadiadwala, director Vishal Bhardwaj, and author Hussain Zaidi. She alleged that the makers had created the film without taking consent from her or her family and that her father had been wrongly shown as a gangster.
In her civil suit, Sanober Shaikh claimed that the movie’s theme was entirely inspired by her deceased father, who has been “portrayed as a gangster”. She argued that this amounted to misuse of her father’s identity and sought an injunction to block the film’s release.
However, the Mumbai civil court rejected her plea. In its order passed on Saturday, Civil Court Judge H C Shende observed that the plaintiff failed to make out a valid case for granting an interim injunction. The court pointed out that Sanober Shaikh had earlier demanded monetary compensation from the filmmakers, which weakened her claim for urgent relief.
Judge Shende noted that the plaintiff’s conduct made an immediate injunction “impermissible in the eye of law”. The court further recorded that before filing the lawsuit, Sanober Shaikh had sent several notices demanding money from the filmmakers.
During the hearing, the defence argued that the film is a fictional story and does not depict the life of Hussain Ustara. The makers’ lawyers submitted that the film carries clear disclaimers stating that it is not based on real persons or events.
The defence, represented by advocates Ashwin Bhalekar and Rishi Bhuta, informed the court that Sanober Shaikh had demanded money ranging from Rs 1 crore to Rs 5 crore in various legal notices sent to the filmmakers before approaching the court. They argued that this showed that “the grievance is purely monetary”.
The court also took note of the delay in filing the suit. It observed,
“The plaintiff was well aware of the proposed film much prior to filing suit, yet approached the court only when the release date was imminent,”
making her plea less credible.
Sanober Shaikh had also requested the court to order a pre-screening of the film before its release. However, the judge rejected this request, stating that it would amount to judicial censorship, which is not permitted under settled legal principles.
“The judge also denied a pre-screening, saying it would amount to judicial censorship, which is also not permissible in view of settled law.”
Following the verdict, Shaikh’s advocate stated that they would challenge the order before the Bombay High Court.
O Romeo is a gangster drama with strong elements of action and romance. The teaser suggests an intense and violent storyline, though the full plot has been kept under wraps. Shahid Kapoor plays the role of a gunman in the film.
The movie marks Vishal Bhardwaj’s third collaboration with Shahid Kapoor after Haider and Kaminey. The film features a large ensemble cast including Avinash Tiwary, Farida Jalal, Vikrant Massey, Nana Patekar, Tamannaah Bhatia, and Disha Patani.
With the Mumbai court refusing to stall its release, O Romeo is now set to hit theatres on 13 February, unless the Bombay High Court grants any relief in appeal.
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