Hussain Ustara’s daughter slams Shahid Kapoor's O'Romeo for negative portrayal: 'My father wasn’t a gangster'

Shahid Kapoor will be seen in Vishal Bhardwaj’s upcoming action musical, O’Romeo. The film marks his fourth collaboration with the celebrated director. O’Romeo, scheduled for February 13, 2026, release, has faced controversy as Sanober Shaikh, Hussain Ustara’s daughter, issued a legal notice over an alleged negative portrayal of her father, seeking Rs. 2 crore within seven days. Now, Sanober denied threatening O'Romeo makers, speaking more about how they portrayed her father wrongly in the film. 

Did O'Romeo depict wrong portrayal of Hussain Ustara?

Hum To Tere Hi Liye music video from O'Romeo showed a romantic angle between the characters of Shahid Kapoor and Triptii Dimri. As the characters are allegedly based on Hussain Ustara and Ashraf Khan, aka Sapna didi, Sanober, the daughter of Hussain Ustara told News18, “The story portrayed in the film is also wrong. My father had trained Sapna didi. She was like a sister to him. She used to come to our home and to our office."

She further added that O Romeo is based on her father, and the teaser stated that the film is based on a true story. She wanted to know who the person the film is based on. 

"My father wasn’t a gangster. Hussain Ustara helped a lot of people. He wanted to cleanse the city and remove gangsters. He wasn’t a criminal. You won’t find any criminal record. The problem is how is image is portrayed in the film," she said. 

She further explained that Sapna Didi was left completely alone after her husband’s death and had no family support. She sought help from many but it was only Hussain Ustara who stood by her. 

"Both of them worked against criminals. Unka tareeka galat tha but this also happened 28 years ago. As his family, our concern is ki unki image kharab ho rahi hai. This isn’t a matter of money. In my first notice, there’s no mention of it at all," Sanober said. 

Also Read: 'Aap gaali dengi na?': How Farida Jalal agreed to viral cuss word in Shahid Kapoor's O’ Romeo?

Is Sanoer preparing to send another legal notice to O'Romeo makers?

Sanober said she is preparing to issue another legal notice after the makers accused her of issuing threats, a charge she strongly denies. She clarified that her actions were strictly within the legal framework and questioned how taking legal action could be misinterpreted as intimidation.

She also said that she has been in contact with the team for the past three months, but after replying to her first notice, they allegedly stopped responding. "But we’ll continue this legal battle. We aren’t okay with the negative portrayal of my baba in the film. We’re deeply affected. We’ve been receiving DMs and messages from people, telling me, ‘This is your baba’s story’. We’re facing a lot of problems," she concluded. 

O'Romeo FAQs:

Q: Is O’Romeo based on a true story?

A: Described as a Shakespearean crime saga, O’Romeo draws inspiration from Mumbai’s underworld of the 1980s and 1990s, with Shahid Kapoor and Triptii Dimri leading the cast.

Q: Who directed O’Romeo?

A: Shahid Kapoor's O'Romeo is directed by Vishal Bhardwaj.

Q: When is O' Romeo releasing?

A: O'Romeo is scheduled to release in theatres on February 13, 2026.