Who Was Hussain Ustara? All About Dawood Ibrahim’s Arch Rival All Set To Be Portrayed By Shahid Kapoor In O’ Romeo

The teaser for Shahid Kapoor and Vishal Bhardwaj’s O Romeo finally landed online this Saturday, and people can’t stop talking about it.

The teaser shows off a seriously impressive cast: Triptii Dimri, Nana Patekar, Vikrant Massey, Tamannaah Bhatia, Avinash Tiwary, Disha Patani, and Farida Jalal. 

There’s been a lot of buzz around this movie for a while, especially with rumours swirling that it’s based on the real-life story of Hussain Ustra, a notorious rival of Dawood Ibrahim.

Now that the teaser says “inspired by true events,” fans are fired up, wondering if Shahid is really stepping into the shoes of the infamous Mumbai gangster. Here’s what’s out there so far.

Shahid Kapoor As Ustra In O Romeo

The filmmakers say Shahid plays a hitman who falls for Afsha, Triptii Dimri’s character. Ustra gets pulled into a world of betrayal, love, and revenge. Shahid’s intense, edgy and dangerous really stands out and seems to capture the heart of O Romeo.

O’ Romeo, inspired by real-life events: Both the character’s name and the story hint that Shahid is playing Hussain, who helped Sapna Didi after Dawood’s men killed her husband.

Who Was Hussain Ustra?

Hussain Ustra ran with the Mumbai underworld and had a serious vendetta against Dawood Ibrahim. Vishal Bhardwaj reportedly drew on Ustra’s life to write the script.

Hussain Sheikh, better known as Hussain Ustara, grew up on the tough streets of Mumbai. He got his start in the underworld with street brawls and running protection rackets, then moved on to become a contract killer.

Crime writer S. Hussain Zaidi says the nickname “Ustara” stuck after Hussain once used a scalpel in a fight, leaving his rival with a long, deep cut, shoulder to hip. 

The doctors who saw the wound had no idea what to do with it; it was just that brutal. Zaidi talks about this in his book Dongri to Dubai, and BollywoodShaadis picked up the story.

For years, people have talked about Hussain’s rivalry with Dawood Ibrahim. The two clashed because neither wanted to back down or play by the other’s rules.

Hussain always did his own thing, and that only fueled the fight between them. That stubborn independence turned Ustara into a real force in Mumbai’s underworld.

As per reports, he died in 1998.

More About O Romeo

Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment is producing the movie. O Romeo hits theatres just before Valentine’s Day—February 13, 2026.

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