OMG 2 controversy: Director Amit Rai reacts to Paresh Rawal's remarks on Akshay Kumar's sequel

Following Paresh Rawal's recent remarks on OMG 2, director Amit Rai has publicly responded to the actor's claim. The debate is around the film's story, as Rawal had recently claimed that it was based on an idea he had developed.

Rai has dismissed the allegation and insisted that the Akshay Kumar-starrer was written entirely by him.

Amit Rai responds

As per Hindustan Times, Rai said, "Wo kis tathya ke adhaar pe ye keh rahe hai? First, he needs to answer this. He is merely making a claim. Kehne ko to wo kuch bhi keh sakte hai. Wo bade actor hai, I cannot go up to an actor of his stature and ask why is he saying this (On what basis is he saying this? First, he needs to answer this. He is merely making a claim. He can say anything. He is a big actor; I cannot go up to an actor of his stature and ask why he is saying this)."

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He further stated that every stage of OMG 2, from its conception to its final screenplay, was his work. "Proof of that is the certificate from the Screenwriters Association and the stamp that is put by the person who sees the script; it has my name."

"Maine film likhi hai aur bana di hai. Bohot jaldi jaag gaye hai woh (I wrote and made the film. He woke up too early)," Rai added.

What did Rawal say?

The controversy began after Rawal, in an interview with Vickey Lalwani, claimed that the story which eventually became OMG 2 originated from discussions he had with Rai after being impressed by the director's work in Road to Sangam.

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"I had approached Amit Rai, the director of Road to Sangam, and asked him if he was planning another film. I admire him a lot. I told him, ‘I have an idea. Let’s sit and write it.’ I told him I wasn’t a writer but I could contribute ideas and help identify where we were going wrong because I understand screenplay to some extent. The story was about a boy who gets caught masturbating, and a video of the incident goes viral, making his life miserable. His father was a tourist guide at the Khajuraho temple. Amit suggested making him a part-time priest at the Mahakal Temple," Rawal said, recalling the project.

Rawal also claimed, "I told Amit that I didn’t want to go ahead with it. I repeatedly told them not to make it a franchise because it wasn’t one. But they still went ahead. I told him, ‘No. This isn’t the film I had envisioned. There is no role of God in this story.’ He tried to convince me, but I had lived with the script from the beginning. That’s why I walked away."

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Expressing disappointment, he said, "The saddest part is that I wasn’t even given credit for the story or the concept. My name wasn’t mentioned anywhere."

Before Rai's response, OMG 2 producer Ashwin Varde had also rejected Rawal's claims, stating that the script was written by Amit Rai and officially registered in his name.

Led by Akshay Kumar, the sequel came in 2023 and revolves around Kanti Sharan Mudgal (Pankaj Tripathi), whose life goes topsy-turvy when his son is expelled from school over a so-called "vulgar" act.