'O'Romeo is the manifestation of love and violence within me,' says Vishal Bhardwaj

New Delhi:

Ahead of the release of O'Romeo, Vishal Bharadwaj, who returned to the director's chair after 2023 release Khufiya, shared a long post on Instagram. Appreciating his HOD, producers and associates, the filmmaker gave an insight into his idea of O'Romeo. Sharing personal thought, Vishal's post seems straight from the heart, as his action-drama will be setting in theatres in few hours now.

Vishal Bharadwaj thanks Team O'Romeo

In the first slide, Vishal thanked his team. '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- their vision, their integrity, their sweat, their blood, and their unconditional commitment to my vision,' wrote Vishal Bharadwaj.

The filmmaker further wrote, 'My real heroes: Mustafa Stationwala, Faramarz Wankadia, Ben Bernhard, Meghdeep Bose, Aarif Sheikh, Maxima Basu, Dani Del Rosario, Vikram Dahiya, Ankur Chaudhary, Yash Darji, Shantanu Yennemadi, Krutika Jain, Mukesh Chhabra, Makarand Surte, Justin Jose, Samir Zaidi, Konstantin Minnich, Saurabh Goswami and 'Anl' Arasu. Also, my most loving associate, Abhay Datt Sharma- who shared my love, pain, frustration and both my reasonable and unreasonable whims, and my creative producer, Priti Shahani. I will not make another film without her.'

O'Romeo reflects my love and violence: Vishal Bharadwaj

Going deep, Vishal shed light on his relation with O'Romeo. 'Through this film, I have realized the immense capacity I hold for love and for violence - together. Looking back at my body of work, I see a recurring theme I wasn't even conscious of: revenge. And at sixty, I am only now beginning to understand it. 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,' the composer-director-producer wrote.

The note further read, 'Opposite this violence stands an equally intense force - 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 specie called human- forever torn between two extreme emotions. O'Romeo is the manifestation of these polarities.'

Vishal Bhardwaj reflects on the emotional extremes that shaped O'Romeo

The filmmaker ended his post by writing, 'It is as massy as I can be. It is as artistic as I can be. It is as violent as I can be. It is as poetic as I can be. It is as loving as I can be. It is as vengeful as I can be. This journey has ended on such a beautiful note that these feelings must be shared, regardless of the outcome. As Dr, Basheer Badr says: 'Subah hui, aankhein kholein, kapde badlein, pheete baandhein.. Uss sheher ke baare mein sochein, jo sheher ab aane waala hai'.

Also Read: O Romeo advance booking buzz: Bollywood's biggest Valentine's Day openers