“O Romeo” Opens Steadily at the Box Office; Morning Shows Receive Applause, Advance Bookings Strong

The highly anticipated Shahid Kapoor–Vishal Bhardwaj collaboration, “O Romeo”, has made its theatrical debut today, coinciding with the Valentine’s Day weekend. Early reports indicate a steady start, with morning shows receiving applause and strong advance bookings signaling positive audience interest.

Advance Booking Report and Early Response

Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, the romantic-action thriller opened with over 3 crore INR in advance bookings. Morning show occupancy ranged between 8–10%, with enthusiastic applause from early viewers. Ticket pre-sales in urban areas indicate a strong response, with over 1.18 lakh tickets booked across 12,344 shows, amounting to 3.05 crore INR gross. Including block bookings, first-day gross pre-sales are projected at 5.90 crore INR.

While first-day collections may stay under 10 crore INR, analysts expect the film to pick up pace during the Valentine’s weekend, particularly among couples and young audiences, aided by word-of-mouth publicity.

Box Office Competition

“O Romeo” faces competition from “Border 2” and “Mardaani 3”, though both films are past their peak. Sunny Deol’s “Border 2” collected 1.75 crore INR on Thursday, and Rani Mukerji’s “Mardaani 3” earned 1.10 crore INR. Another recent release, “Tu Ya Main” starring Shanaya Kapoor and Adarsh Gaurav, has received positive reviews but trails behind “O Romeo” in commercial performance.

Star-Studded Cast and Anticipation

The film’s announcement created a buzz due to its story and ensemble cast, featuring Shahid Kapoor, Tripti Dimri, Nana Patekar, Avinash Tiwari, Tamanna Bhatia, Disha Patani, Farida Jalal, and Vikrant Massey. Shahid Kapoor’s pairing with Vishal Bhardwaj, following hits like “Kaminey” and “Haider”, added to audience curiosity.

Budget Advantage and Screen Count

Produced on a 60–65 crore INR budget, “O Romeo” benefits from lower production costs and minimal competition. Released on approximately 2,000 screens, the film is well-positioned to grow steadily over the weekend if audience reception remains positive.

Box Office Prediction

Considering early trends, morning show response, advance bookings, and Valentine’s Day influence, the film is expected to earn 6–8 crore INR net on its opening day. For comparison, Shahid Kapoor’s previous theatrical release, “Deva”, collected 5.5 crore INR net on day one.

Storyline and Audience Appeal

Inspired by Hussain Zaidi’s book “Mafia Queens of Mumbai”, “O Romeo” chronicles the true stories of Hussain Ustra and Sapna Didi, exploring Mumbai’s underworld. Ustra, once an informant against Dawood Ibrahim, and Sapna, who becomes a gangster to avenge her husband’s death, form the narrative backbone.

With the Valentine’s weekend underway, “O Romeo” has the potential to connect emotionally with couples and young viewers. If the film resonates with audiences, it could easily double or triple its production budget in collections.

Film Details:

• Title: O Romeo
• Director: Vishal Bhardwaj
• Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Tripti Dimri, Nana Patekar, Avinash Tiwari, Tamanna Bhatia, Disha Patani, Farida Jalal, Vikrant Massey
• Release Date: 13 February 2026
• Budget: 60–65 crore INR
• Runtime: 2 hours 57 minutes
• Advance Booking Gross: 3.05 crore INR
• Box Office Prediction (Opening Day): 6–8 crore INR
• Screens: ~2,000