Operation Romeo Movie Review: Aditya Sharma (Sidhant Gupta) and Neha Kasliwal (Vedika Pinto) are out on a surprise late-night date. The lovebirds are caught in an intimate moment while making out in a car by two cops. What looks like an awkward moment where the couple will be lectured on moral policing turns into an eerie situation where the said cops (played by the deliciously devilish Sharad Kelkar and the ever so promising Kishor Kadam) start harassing the couple. Aditya and Neha's vulnerabilities make the cops take advantage of the situation. Theatrical Releases Of The Week: Shahid Kapoor’s Jersey, Sharad Kelkar’s Operation Romeo, Edris Elba’s Sonic The Hedgehog 2 & More.

Things start getting out of hand when Sharad Kelkar's character tries to exploit the couple by demanding money. Things don't stop there. He even tries to outrage the modesty of the young girl.  Things start turning uglier quite steadily as director Shashant Shah exposes pseudo machismo and a misplaced sense of masculinity layer by layer. Operation Romeo is eerie to look at, and it will most certainly make you feel disgusted as indeed uncomfortable with the situation it presents. The first half of the film is taut and gripping thanks majorly to fine performances delivered by the aforementioned actors. Operation Romeo: Neeraj Pandey and Shital Bhatia’s Film To Hit the Big Screens on April 22, 2022 (Watch Motion Poster)

Sharad Kelkar as the lecherous cop Mangesh Jadhav and Sidhant Gupta as the young, hapless and clueless young lad are particularly impressive. Operation Romeo is the remake of the 2019 remake of the Malayalam movie Ishq Not A Love Story. The makers have shifted the horrible tale to Mumbai with this one and have succeeded well in the first half. Even if the situation at hand and the way it unfolds seem a bit stretched, the taut screenplay, crisp lines, and fantastic performances make the scenario horribly real.

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Kishor Kadam keeps the narrative real with his character which acts as a much-needed breather to the tense situation. He gets some of the best lines and the actor enacts them so well to draw your ire and disgust. Unfortunately, the film loses its grip in the second half as the revenge saga commences and the victim gives the culprits the dose of their own medicine and reveals their true identity. Obviously, Sidhant had to show his wicked side without compromising his true persona or his value systems. In the balancing act though things do not come across as eerie and dark as the tables are turned in the second half. Deja Vu: Sharad Kelkar Opens Up About Playing the Solo Lead in His Upcoming Film

The film concludes on a rather ambiguous note that stirs an important debate on pseudo machismo and so-called manliness. It makes you ask multiple questions about our sense of security and sexuality, both individually as indeed collectively. Unfortunately, the film does not do justice to the complex issue at hand quite convincingly. One feels that a fantastic opportunity is wasted in a swift stroke thanks to what comes across as the hurriedly executed second half.

Final Thoughts

Operation Romeo will make you uncomfortable with its thrilling first half, while the second half will leave you with important questions asked in a rather odd manner. Watch it for Sharad Kelkar and Sidhant Gupta's impressive performances.

Rating:2.5

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 21, 2022 02:25 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).