O Romeo row: Hussain Ustara’s daughter seeks stay on Shahid Kapoor film, alleges exploitation of ‘human tragedy’

Advocate DV Saroj, who filed the lawsuit, also stated that O Romeo is based on the life of Sanober Shaikh’s father and portrays him as a “gangster.” The suit noted that she fears the film’s release could cause “irreparable injury” to her and her children, who, it said, have “every right to live in the world in peace and in a healthy atmosphere.”

The lawsuit further stated, “The release of the movie containing a false portrayal would have serious implications for the plaintiffs’ family members.”

Ustara’s daughter also claimed that her father had helped prevent crimes across India and in Mumbai by cooperating with the police to catch criminals. Sanober added that the producer and director were “exploiting a human tragedy for commercial gain” and that the film’s theatrical release could “besmirch the character of a dead person.”

The civil suit has been filed against Sajid Nadiadwala, the producer of O Romeo, director Vishal Bharadwaj and journalist-author Hussain Zaidi.

Earlier, while talking to Hindustan Times in an interview, Sanober had said, “They are claiming and showing wrong things about my father. They are saying that we threatened them and asked for ₹2 crore. That’s wrong. They are making such claims for publicity of the film. We have sent them a legal notice.”

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Shahid Kapoor will be seen playing the role of Hussain Ustara in O Romeo, based on Hussain Zaidi’s book, Mafia Queens of Mumbai. The movie, also featuring Triptii Dimri, Nana Patekar, Avinash Tiwary, Tamannaah Bhatia, Disha Patani, Farida Jalal and Vikrant Massey, is set to hit the theatres on February 13.