Shahid Kapoor starrer
O’ Romeo faces Legal hassles
Even as the Vishal Bhardwaj directorial
O’Romeo’ has been garnering good reports, the makers now suddenly face legal hassles from Sanober Shaikh
daughter of gangster Hussain Ustara who has sought a restrain over the release of the film. She claims that the film is based on the life of her father believed to be a yesteryear Mumbai gangster, known to have enduring vendetta vendetta with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.
Shaikh has sought directions from the court for a
pre-screening of the film and the appointment of a court commissioner, or any other person, to submit a report before the court. The suit has been filed by advocate DV Saroj against producer Sajid Nadiadwala and director Vishal Bhardwaj, as well as the author of the book from which the film is claimed to have drawn inspiration.
Saroj has further alleged that while a Mumbai Police official describes Ustara as a police asset, the film’s trailer gives the impression that he was a gangster. The suit argues that such a portrayal amounts to a false depiction and could have serious implications for the reputation and safety of the plaintiff’s family members.
Shaikh has asserted that her father worked as a journalist in Mumbai and assisted various government agencies, including the Mumbai Police and the Intelligence Bureau, in preventing criminal activities across India, and particularly in the city. Owing to these activities, she claims, his life was constantly under threat. The suit states that Ustara had applied to the Commissioner of Police for a bulletproof jacket and received approval through a letter dated August 4, 1994.
According to the suit, Ustara had openly defied the D-Company and was viewed by its members as a “loose cannon” capable of destabilising their criminal operations. His elimination, the suit claims, was intended to remove a perceived threat and reassert the dominance of Dawood Ibrahim. The plaintiff further states that her father’s murder was planned and executed by Dawood Ibrahim’s close associates, including Chhota Shakeel. It also claims that Ustara was acting as an informant for the Mumbai Police and had been supplying intelligence against Dawood Ibrahim’s network. He was killed on September 11, 1998.
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The suit also refers to social media interviews of former Mumbai Police encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma, in which Sharma stated that while the film is portrayed as fictional, its core narrative is drawn from the real-life story of Hussain Ustara.
No damages have been sought by Shaikh in the suit so far. The suit will be heard by the Mumbai Sessions Court on February 6, a week ahead of the film’s scheduled release.
O’ Romeo, also featuring Tritpii Dimri, Nana Patekar, Avinash Tiwary, Vikrant Massey and Tamannaah Bhatia, is scheduled for release on February 13.
The film is based on a chapter in Hussain Zaidi’s book, Mafia Queens of Mumbai.
News Edit KV Raman
