Roadside Romeo
Roadside Romeo is a 2008 Bollywood film distributed by Disney (yes, Disney) and Yash Raj Films. It is the second Bollywood film to be released in North America, but only in a handful of theaters.
The film centers around a pampered dog named Romeo who, after being abandoned by his owners, is forced to live out in the streets of Mumbai. Romeo is cornered by a street gang and almost beaten up by the crew, but manages to convince them to open a dog grooming business after he lulls them by giving them all new haircuts. Everything's going great until Chhainu, the right-hand dog of a disgusting mobster named Charlie Anna, comes by to collect the business's protection money (in the form of bones). When Romeo kicks him out and refuses to pay, his friends fear retribution, and head over to kiss his ass so Anna doesn't kill all of them. From there on out, the film is about Romeo and his friends trying to escape the clutches of Anna, while Romeo simultaneously tries to woo a dog named Laila, whom he met while dancing on the rooftops, and who he's fallen in love with.
- Accessory-Wearing Cartoon Animal: The entire cast.
- Almost Kiss: Happens after Romeo and Laila's dance on the rooftops.
- Badass: The Angels.
- Big Bad: Charlie Anna. The dog catchers too, despite only making two appearances in the whole movie.
- Don't Explain the Joke: Charlie does this a lot, but most notably when he introduces his trio of deadly cats called "The Angels."
 |
Charlie: "These are my angels. Charlie's Angels! *laughs* Jokes." |
 |
- Downer Ending: Subverted at the very, very, very last second.
- The Dragon: Chhainu.
- Fat and Skinny: Charlie and Chhainu.
- Gasshole: Charlie Anna. He seems nonchalant about breaking wind in front of Romeo, and in general.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Charlie Anna. Do NOT go near Laila while he's watching.
- Heel Face Turn: Charlie Anna has one at the end of the film when Romeo prevents Anna from getting captured by the dog catchers. Not only does Anna repay Romeo by freeing him, but he also helps Laila fall in love with Romeo again.
- Guru's gang after they get a new makeover. See Important Haircut.
- Humans Are the Real Monsters: All the humans featured in the film are dog catchers, pedestrians speeding down the road, or people throwing garbage at the dogs from their windows because they were barking/howling too much.
- If I Can't Have You: Charlie has a crush on Laila. Laila wants nothing to do with Charlie. So Charlie admires Laila from afar whenever she sings on stage at a club and tells all the other dogs that if they so much as touch Laila, they can kiss their lives goodbye. Romeo doesn't get the message.
- Important Haircut: When Romeo runs into Guru's gang, they're a band of badasses who have no trouble mugging and killing Romeo for invading their territory. Then he gives them all a haircut. For the rest of the film, they're Romeo's friends and complete cowards whenever they run into Chhainu or Charlie.
- Love Makes You Dumb: Oh, Romeo...
- Never Say "Die": Charlie: "THE END!!!!"
- Talking Animal: Just about all the characters are talking dogs or cats.
- Toilet Humour: All over the place. Pooping birds, burping rodents, Chhainu spitting, Chhainu spitting, Chhainu spitting again, Charlie eating his own ear wax... This trope was taken literally when Chhainu actually fell into a broken down toilet he was sleeping on.
- You Need a Breath Mint: Chhainu, while ranting to Romeo about who he is and what Anna will do to him if he doesn't pay collection money, gets a little too close to his face. Romeo subtly waves a paw in front of his nose.