Roadside Romeo

Roadside Romeo is a 2008 Indian Hindi-language animation musical romantic comedy film written and directed by Jugal Hansraj in his directorial debut, and produced by Aditya Chopra and Yash Chopra under the Yash Raj Films banner. The film features the voice talents of Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor, marking their first voice-over performances in an animated production. The narrative follows Romeo, a pampered dog left to fend for himself on the streets of Mumbai, who falls in love with Laila, a glamorous canine performer, while facing opposition from the local dog mafia.

The film marked Yash Raj Films’ first foray into animation and was co-produced in association with Walt Disney Pictures, which also handled its theatrical distribution in India, the United States, and the United Kingdom. It was the second Bollywood film to be released in North America by a major Hollywood studio, following Sony Pictures’ Saawariya (2007). Visual effects and animation were provided by Tata Elxsi and Crest Animation Studios, respectively, with a team of over 150 artists contributing to the production.

Released theatrically on 24 October 2008, Roadside Romeo received negative reviews from critics, who praised the animation quality but criticized its predictable storyline and lack of emotional depth. Despite the promotional backing and international distribution, the film underperformed at the box office. A racing video game based on the film was developed by UTV Indiagames and released for mobile platforms.