Shahid Kapoor and Vishal Bhardwaj together are already a reason to pay attention. Add 1990s Mumbai, organised crime, and a love story running through the middle of it all — and O’Romeo had a lot going for it before anyone had even seen a frame.
If you missed it in theatres, your wait is almost over. Here’s everything you need to know about the OTT release.
When Can You Watch It?
O’Romeo has been available as a rental on Amazon Prime Video since March 27, 2026 — so if you’re willing to pay a small extra fee, you can watch it right now.
For regular Prime subscribers who’d rather wait for it to land without extra charge, the full streaming release is expected around April 10, 2026.
| Movie | O’Romeo |
| Platform | Amazon Prime Video |
| Rental Available | March 27, 2026 |
| Free for Subscribers | Around April 10, 2026 |
| Genre | Crime Romance / Action |
| Runtime | 178 minutes |
| Theatrical Release | February 13, 2026 |
The staggered release — rental first, then free for subscribers — has become a fairly standard approach for big Bollywood films on OTT. It gives early birds a way in while the wider audience waits a couple of weeks.

What’s the Film Actually About?
O’Romeo is set in Mumbai’s underworld during the 1990s — a period that’s become almost mythological in Indian cinema, and for good reason. It was an era of gang wars, police encounters, political connections, and a kind of chaotic, dangerous energy that doesn’t exist in quite the same way anymore.
Shahid Kapoor plays Hussain Ustra, a gangster navigating that world — caught between loyalty to the network around him, the pull of power, and a love story that doesn’t fit neatly into any of it. Triptii Dimri plays opposite him, and by most accounts she’s the emotional anchor of the film — the part that keeps it from being just another crime drama.
The film is loosely inspired by Mafia Queens of Mumbai, a book by Hussain Zaidi that documents real stories from that era. That source material gives the film a grounded quality — these aren’t entirely fictional characters in a fictional world. The circumstances feel lived-in because, in some sense, they were.
Read the full review of the O’Romeo Movie here.
How Did It Do in Theatres?
Decent, but not spectacular. O’Romeo crossed around ₹90 crore worldwide during its theatrical run, which is a reasonable number but probably below what was hoped for given the names attached.
The reviews were mixed. Critics were divided — some felt Vishal Bhardwaj’s direction and Shahid’s performance were the best things about it, while others thought the 178-minute runtime tested patience in places. The romantic angle got appreciation, the crime elements got praise, but the overall length was a recurring complaint.
That said, mixed theatrical reviews don’t necessarily predict the OTT experience. A nearly three-hour film is a different proposition in a cinema than it is on your couch — you can pause, come back, watch it across two evenings. A lot of films find their real audience on streaming, and O’Romeo has the kind of content that could do well in that environment.
The Vishal Bhardwaj Factor
It’s worth talking about the director for a moment, because he’s a big part of why this film matters.
Vishal Bhardwaj is responsible for some of the most distinctive films Indian cinema has produced — Maqbool, Omkara, Haider, Kaminey. His films have a texture to them that’s hard to describe but immediately recognisable. Dark themes, complex characters, a visual style that feels both raw and carefully composed, and music that does more storytelling than most dialogue.
O’Romeo sits comfortably in that tradition. The production design recreates old Mumbai with the kind of attention to detail you notice even in background shots. The cinematography has the atmospheric quality his films are known for. And the tone — that particular mix of romanticism and brutality — is classic Bhardwaj.
If you’re a fan of his earlier work, this one will feel familiar in the best way.
Shahid and Triptii — How Are the Performances?
Shahid Kapoor as a gangster isn’t a stretch — he’s shown this range before, and he leans into the moral ambiguity of Hussain Ustra without trying to make him likeable in a conventional way. The character works because Shahid doesn’t soften him unnecessarily.
Triptii Dimri has been on a strong run recently, and she holds her own here against both her co-star and the weight of the story around her. Her character brings the human cost of that world into focus — what it means to love someone whose life is built on violence and uncertainty.
The chemistry between them has been one of the more talked-about aspects of the film, and it’s what keeps the romance from feeling like a subplot.
Is It Worth Watching on OTT?
If you enjoy crime dramas that take their time and have something real to say — yes, it’s worth your evening.
The runtime is long, but streaming actually suits this film better than a theatre in some ways. You’re not locked into a seat for three hours. You can watch it in two parts, catch details you might miss at full speed, and settle into the story at your own pace.
It’s not a perfect film. But Vishal Bhardwaj directing Shahid Kapoor in a 90s Mumbai underworld story inspired by real events — that’s a combination with enough going for it to make the time investment worthwhile.


