It seems that most people have already watched this movie, as it is currently trending on Amazon Prime Video.
I also watched it with high expectations — not because of Shahid Kapoor, but because of Vishal Bhardwaj.
And to my surprise, it turned out to be a complete disappointment. A total waste of time.
Let me break down, point by point, what went seriously wrong with this movie.
- Wrong Casting: Sabka Kaam Dubta Hua
*Sirf Nana Patekar hi the jo apne role ke saath genuinely justice karte nazar aaye.
As Inspector, he brings authority, restraint, aur wahi gravity jo film desperately demand kar rahi thi. Baaki cast… mostly misfire.
Farida Jalal as Ustara ki dadi feels like a wasted opportunity.
Zyada tar film mein woh bas Khan ke orders follow karne ki advice deti rehti hain, aur beech‑beech mein unnecessary gaaliyan sirf “cool dadi” banne ke liye. Character depth? Almost zero.
Shahid Kapoor honestly felt completely miscast.
Poore time ek gym‑freak vibe — jaise steroid side‑effects face pe clearly dikh rahe hon. Ustara jaisa raw, dangerous, unpredictable character kahin bhi land nahi karta. Jo street‑level brutality honi chahiye thi, woh polish aur body‑flex ke neeche dab jaati hai.
Avinash Tiwary as Jalal — yeh wahi typical “acha body, thoda intensity” wala villain hai.
Par sawaal yeh hai: aisa body‑builder villain aur kab tak chalega?
Threat screen pe mehsoos nahi hota, sirf presence hoti hai.
Disha Patani — seriously, inka role ka purpose samajh hi nahi aaya.
Agar item song hi karna tha, toh frankly Nora Fatehi yeh kaam aur better kar leti. Disha ka presence story ko na push karta hai, na emotionally add karta hai.
Tamannaah Bhatia aur Aruna Irani ka casting bhi pura film khatam hone ke baad tak unclear hi rehta hai.
Lagta hai shayad dono isliye onboard hui kyunki project Vishal Bhardwaj ka tha — wahi director jinhone Maqbool (2003), Omkara (2006), Kaminey (2009) aur Haider (2014) jaise cult films di hain.
Lekin is baar experiment overcooked lagta hai.
Clearly, Bhardwaj ne yahan Animal‑type intensity recreate karne ki koshish ki — par bina uski conviction ke. Result? Loud moments, forced intensity, aur ek film jo apni hi seriousness pe vishwas nahi kar pati. - Shahid Kapoor’s Over‑Action: Logic Took a Coffee Break
Sunny Deol ko agar koi toota hua hand‑pump de do aur woh 10 logon ko uda de — maan bhi lete hain.
Par Shahid Kapoor ko dekhna, ek single ustra ke saath well‑built, muscled goons ko todte hue… woh bhi FIRST fight scene mein — yahin film ne mera patience test shuru kar diya.
Shahid ka version of Ustara zyada realistic nahi lagta, zyada gym‑poster fantasy lagta hai.
Rawness jo is character ki backbone honi chahiye thi, woh kahi bhi feel nahi hoti.
Upar se woh ustra ka use itna exaggerated hai ki fight scene ka impact kam ho jaata hai, aur unintentionally comedy create ho jaati hai.
Sach bolun toh, yeh wahi moment tha jab mera haath instinctively laptop ke “X” button ki taraf chala gaya.
Ek gangster ke liye danger aana chahiye screen pe —
yahan sirf pose, flex aur slow‑motion aggression dikhayi deta hai. - Forced Use of Abusive Language: Shock Value Without Purpose
Senior actors like Farida Jalal ji and Nana Patekar ji using abusive words isn’t the problem.
The problem is how lazily and randomly it has been integrated into the film.
Gaaliyan aise daali gayi hain jaise
“jab mann kare, dialogue ke beech mein ek gaali ghusa do.”
No build‑up, no emotional trigger, no narrative reason.
It honestly feels like the director just wanted to signal:
“Dekho, main new‑generation ke liye kuch edgy bana raha hoon — old actors ke saath.”
Farida Jalal ji ko dekh kar aisa lagta hai jaise unhone bhi socha ho:
“Chalo, kuch toofani karte hain.”
Lekin yeh toofan na tension la paaya, na humour—ek halka sa smile bhi audience ke face pe create nahi hota.
Nana Patekar naturally intensity carry kar lete hain, par even in his case, the abusive language feels inserted, - Weak Story: Logic Took Multiple Sick Leaves
Even after finishing the movie, I still don’t understand one basic thing —
why exactly did Jalal shift to Spain?
Was it for story progression?
Or just to show his body while fighting a bull?
Also, serious question — does Spain not have any police?
Because in the climax, Jalal literally captures an entire stadium just to announce how he plans to kill the hero.
At this point, logic completely exits the film.
Ab digest hi nahi hota yeh sab.
Talking about killing — Jalal’s brutality is more talk than action.
For someone projected as a dreaded villain, he ends up killing only one poor plumber, whose crime was failing to stop a water leakage. That’s it.
Then comes Afshan (Triptii Dimri).
Her husband is killed by Inspector Pathare, she files a case, faces a court trial — and somehow Pathare doesn’t recognise her at all.
Later, he marries the same woman.
So let me get this straight:
Someone files a case against you
You face a legal proceeding
You don’t even recognise the complainant
And later you marry that person
Salute, Inspector Pathare. 👏
Honestly, the only sensible writing choice was making Jalal force Afshan to kill Pathare in the climax.
And then this same dumb character ends up killing Nana Patekar in a face‑to‑face combat using guns.
Seriously?
For a director known for layered storytelling, this needed creativity — not shortcuts.
At times, it genuinely feels like the writer was either exhausted or took one peg extra while writing. - Overdose of Songs: Noise Without Memory
Do you remember even one song from this movie?
I’m pretty sure you don’t — because frankly, kuch special hi nahi hai.
Normally, Vishal Bhardwaj’s music becomes part of the storytelling.
Here, the songs feel more like fillers.
Because the writing is weak, songs are randomly inserted here and there, without any emotional buildup or narrative purpose.
Na woh story push karte hain, na character ko enhance — bas flow tod dete hain.
By the end, it feels less like a soundtrack and more like an overdose.
Songs are playing, but nothing is staying with you after the credits roll.
Honestly, when music becomes forgettable in a Vishal Bhardwaj film, that itself says a lot about how disconnected the film is from its own soul.
Overall, this time Vishal Bhardwaj completely fails to utilise the talent of capable actors like Shahid Kapoor, Nana Patekar, Farida Jalal, and Aruna Irani.
What could have been a layered, intense crime drama instead turns into a poorly written, poorly executed film. The movie feels like a cheap imitation of Animal—without its conviction, writing strength, or emotional grounding.
Weak storytelling, forgettable dialogues, forced intensity, and misused performances make this a tiring experience rather than an engaging one.
If you haven’t watched O’Romeo yet, consider it a win for your time.
In simple words: skip it.