24 February 2026 Punjab Khabarnama Bureau : Actor and writer Hussain Dalal has spoken candidly about the box office performance of his latest film O Romeo, saying it is unfair to compare smaller, content-driven projects with big-budget mass entertainers like Dhurandhar or Animal.
Reacting to questions around commercial expectations, Dalal said audiences and industry watchers often overlook the scale, intent, and audience of a film while judging its success. “O Romeo is not made to chase numbers like Dhurandhar or Animal. Expecting that kind of box office performance from a film like ours is simply unrealistic,” he said.
Dalal explained that O Romeo was conceived as a story-first project, focusing on emotions, relationships, and layered characters rather than spectacle or high-voltage action. According to him, the film’s success should be measured through audience connection, word-of-mouth appreciation, and long-term recall rather than opening weekend collections.
He pointed out that blockbuster films come with massive budgets, star power, and marketing muscle, which automatically set expectations high. “Those films are designed for mass appeal and larger-than-life impact. O Romeo is intimate and personal. Both types of cinema have their place, but comparing them financially does a disservice to storytelling,” Dalal said.
The actor also spoke about the pressure faced by actors working in mid-budget and independent films. He said box office numbers often overshadow the creative risks taken by filmmakers. “If a film sparks conversation, touches people emotionally, or finds its audience over time, that is also success,” he added.
Dalal acknowledged that social media and constant box office tracking have changed how films are judged today. “Earlier, films were allowed time to grow. Now, verdicts are declared within hours. That mindset needs to change, especially for films that are not meant to be loud or commercial,” he said.
Despite the noise around numbers, Dalal expressed satisfaction with the response O Romeo has received from viewers who connected with its themes. He said messages from audiences praising performances and writing matter more to him than headline figures.
On the larger debate around content versus commerce, Dalal said Hindi cinema needs space for different kinds of films to coexist. “If every film tries to be Animal or Dhurandhar, cinema will lose its diversity. We need big spectacles, but we also need smaller, honest stories,” he said.
He concluded by urging audiences and critics to judge films within their own context. “A film should be seen for what it wants to say, not what it earns on day one,” Dalal remarked.
Summary
Hussain Dalal says it is unfair to expect O Romeo to perform like big-budget films such as Animal or Dhurandhar, stressing that content-driven cinema should be judged beyond box office numbers.