Two Stars Refuse Pay For Vishal Bhardwaj’s Latest ‘O Romeo’

MUMBAI- Actors Vikrant Massey and Tamannaah Bhatia like to stick to their word when it comes to artistic pursuits. The actors, who will be seen in special appearances in the upcoming film ‘O’Romeo’, let go of their remuneration for the film as they found their parts to be intriguing. In fact, Vikrant did the film to keep a vow he made to director Vishal Bhardwaj.

The film is mounted on a substantial budget of Rs 75–80 crore and will need to cross the Rs100 crore mark at the box office to be declared a hit. The film ranks among the big-budget projects of Shahid Kapoor’s career and marks one of Vishal Bhardwaj’s most ambitious directorial projects to date.

Vishal Bhardwaj shared that Vikrant had committed to ‘O’Romeo’ years ago when he was still an emerging talent. Despite becoming a major star after ‘12th Fail’, Vikrant honored that promise when approached again, choosing to do the role free of cost. The actor told Vishal Bhardwaj that watching ‘Maqbool’ inspired him to enter the film industry and changed his life forever, making this special appearance his way of paying tribute. Vikrant shot for nearly 8–9 days, delivering a powerful performance that adds significant weight to the narrative.

Tamannaah Bhatia also agreed to be part of ‘O’Romeo’ without charging a single paisa, despite budget constraints. Though her role is brief, it plays a crucial part in unveiling a major plot twist in the film.

Tamannaah immediately said yes when approached and went on to shoot for nearly 12 days, far more than initially planned, also participating in workshops and rehearsals to prepare for the layered character. Her commitment and generosity, Vishal noted, left a lasting impact on the film.

The film releases on February 13. (IANS)