The Mumbai Sessions Court has rejected the plea filed by Sanober Shaikh seeking a stay on the release of the upcoming Bollywood film O'Romeo. The makers of the film have been given a green signal to release the film on February 13.
Sanober Shaikh, daughter of the late Hussain Ustara, has filed a plea objecting to her father’s portrayal in O’Romeo. The petition noted that the film depicts her father as a gangster, which she claims is incorrect and damaging to the family’s reputation. According to her plea, Hussain Ustara was a journalist who assisted government agencies and police in preventing crimes across India, particularly in Mumbai.
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Plea against film O’Romeo
In her petition, Sanober Shaikh stated that Hussain Ustara had a long-standing rivalry with Dawood Ibrahim’s D-Company and he was killed so that Dawood Ibrahim could regain control and power. The plea also referred to interviews of former Mumbai Police officer Pradeep Sharma, where it was stated that the film is entirely fictional, though the storyline was inspired by real-life incidents linked to Hussain Ustara.
Despite this, the suit alleged that the film’s trailer represents her father as a gangster. The plea urged the court to order a pre-screening of the film by appointing an independent authority and submitting a report before its release.
Mumbai Sessions Court's verdict
While dismissing the plea, Additional Sessions Judge HC Shende dismissed the matter, stating that the observations made in the order were prima facie in nature and would not influence the final adjudication of the suit. The case has been filed against filmmakers Sajid Nadiadwala and Vishal Bhardwaj, along with the writer of the book from which the film is said to have drawn inspiration.
The case has been scheduled for a hearing on March 12. The matter may move to the High Court, potentially leading to a prolonged legal battle between the family and the filmmakers.
