Operation Romeo: When a Thriller-Love Story Misses the Mark

The Plot

Operation Romeo follows Aditya Sharma and Neha Kasliwal, two young lovers who find themselves at the mercy of two men posing as police officers one night while out on a romantic date in Mumbai. The film explores the themes of chauvinism, moral policing, and the difficult choices that young couples have to make in contemporary urban Indian society.

The Acting

While the lead actors, Sidhant Gupta and Vedika Pinto, give decent performances, it's Sharad Kelkar and Kishor Kadam who steal the show as the two menacing "policemen." Their ability to induce emotions like anger and disgust for their characters is impressive and saves the film from being a complete disappointment.

The Cinematography

Hari Nair's camera work perfectly captures the horror-movie ambiance of south Mumbai by night, adding to the tension and fear felt by the protagonists.

The Direction

Directed by Shashant Shah and co-produced by Neeraj Pandey, the film is an official remake of the Malayalam movie Ishq Not A Love Story. While the thriller aspects are well-built, the film takes a completely different turn in the end, and it doesn't quite hit the mark. The filmmakers missed an opportunity to update the story to the bustling city of Mumbai and the contemporary issues young couples face.

The Verdict

Operation Romeo is a disappointing watch not because it's a bad or boring film, but because it had the potential to be something significant and failed to deliver. While the film courageously takes an anti-moral policing stance, it ultimately chickened out when it comes to tackling sensitive and uncomfortable issues like rape and abusive police behavior. Overall, it's a slow-burn thriller-love story that could have been remade more sharply to drive home an important message.

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