Through ‘O Romeo’, I realised the immense capacity I hold for love and violence: Vishal Bhardwaj

Filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj on Thursday said his new film ORomeo made him realise the immense capacity he holds for both love and for violence together. Bhardwaj said he wanted to write about his feelings before critics and audiences passed their judgement on the movie, releasing in theatres tomorrow.

Filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj on Thursday said his new film ''O'Romeo'' made him realise the immense capacity he holds for both ''love and for violence together''. The director, known for criticals hits such as ''Maqbool'', ''Omkara'', ''Haider'' and ''Kaminey'', said looking back at his career in cinema, he found a recurring theme of revenge. ''Through this film, I have realised the immense capacity I hold for love and for violence - together. Looking back at my body of work, l see a recurring theme I wasn't even conscious of: revenge. And at sixty, I am only now beginning to understand it,'' Bhardwaj said in a statement posted on Instagram. ''There is so much hatred, violence, and injustice in society - and I often feel powerless against it. It wounds me deeply. This pent-up anguish needed release. In 'O'Romeo', through my protagonist, I slash throats, split skulls, and blow the brains of the monsters I cannot confront in real life,'' he added. The director said opposite this violence stands an equally intense force which is love. ''A love born from a lifetime of encounters with beautiful, sensitive souls who have shaped me. A love that did not let me drown. A love that pulled me out of the pool of blood. I am in love with this species called humans - forever torn between two extreme emotions. 'O'Romeo' is the manifestation of these polarities,'' he added. ''O' Romeo'', which is set to be released in theatres on Friday, is inspired by a chapter of author Hussain Zaidi's book ''Mafia Queens of Mumbai'' and tells the gripping tale of gangster Hussain Ustara, played by Shahid Kapoor. The movie's star-studded cast also includes Triptii Dimri, Nana Patekar, and Disha Patani, with Vikrant Massey making a special appearance. Bhardwaj said the film is as massy, artistic, violent, poetic, loving and vengeful as he could be. ''This journey has ended on such a beautiful note that these feelings must be shared - regardless of the outcome,'' said the 60-year-old, who is often credited as one of the most original cinematic voices in Hindi cinema for his Indian adaptations of Shakespeare's tragedies ''Macbeth'', ''Othello'' and ''Hamlet'', as well as films such as ''Makdee'', ''The Blue Umbrella'', ''Saat Khoon Maaf'' and ''Khufiya''. Bhardwaj said he wanted to write about his feelings before critics and audiences passed their judgement on the movie, releasing in theatres tomorrow. The filmmaker also wanted to thank ''the real heroes'' of the movie – his team in different departments that worked to fulfil his vision. ''Before the critics speak and before the box office delivers its verdict, I feel compelled to share how deeply proud I am of this film. Before the accolades or the criticism arrive, I must thank, from the deepest part of my being, all my HODs who gave far more than was ever asked of them…'' He ended the note with a couplet from Basheer Badr, which roughly translates as: ''Morning has arrived, open your eyes, wear your clothes and shoes and start thinking about the city that is to come next''. ''O'Romeo'' is produced by Sajid Nadiadwala's under the banner of Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment.

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