Actor Paresh Rawal has sparked a fresh controversy after claiming that he was not credited for the original story and concept of OMG 2. In a recent interview with Vickey Lalwani, the veteran actor said the idea for the film was originally his and that he had developed it with director Amit Rai. However, according to Rawal, the project changed significantly after Akshay Kumar came on board, which led him to step away.
Responding to Rawal’s allegations, OMG 2 producer Ashwin Varde dismissed the claims as “untrue and unsubstantiated”. He also accused the actor of being “unprofessional” and alleged that he tried to steal OMG 2 from Akshay Kumar, while sharing his version of how the film came together.
Ashwin Varde responds to Paresh Rawal’s OMG 2 claims
During his conversation with Vickey Lalwani, Paresh Rawal was asked about why he did not return for OMG 2. The actor then detailed the story behind the film’s conception and explained why he eventually chose to walk away from the project. He said in Hindi, which loosely translates to English as, “(Amit Rai, with whom I had made Road to Sangam—I really admire him. Nice guy, very nice guy. So I told him, “Amit, have you thought of making something else?” He said, “Let’s do one thing. I have an idea. Let’s write it together. I told him, “I’m not a writer, but I can just throw my ideas around. I know where we might go wrong. I can say this much, rather audaciously, that I understand the screen a little. I’ll guide you.)”
He further explained the plot of the story, “(Amit added another angle, that the father also worked part-time as a priest at Mahakal. Fair enough. Then the story explored what the family goes through and how they become outcasts. We began writing. There was a lot of reading involved. We even spent five or six hours in meetings with sexologist Dr Prakash Kothari, because he was a very good friend of mine. We were clear that we didn’t want to make something vulgar. It had to be educational, entertaining, and absolutely impactful. He contributed significantly to the script.)”
According to Paresh, the story was not planned as OMG 2. Instead of God, he wanted a biker to guide the protagonist. He said, “(So we came up with the idea of a biker. Indian cinema had never really explored the concept of a travelling biker who sells goods, appears, guides the protagonist, and moves on. I even went to Ajay Devgn and asked, “Brother, will you play the biker?” I also went to Salman Khan with the same role. I deliberately didn’t approach Akshay Kumar because people would immediately assume it was OMG 2. That’s why I went to these people instead.)”
How did OMG 2 producer Ashwin Varde respond to Paresh Rawal’s claims?
In a statement, OMG 2 producer Ashwin Varde said, “The accusations made by Paresh Rawal in a recent podcast pertaining to OMG-2 are shocking, untrue and unsubstantiated. These allegations leave me with no option but to publicly set the record straight. I would like to share my version of the journey of OMG-2, as it really happened.”
The statement also added, “When I first heard it, my immediate reaction was that this subject resembled the format of OMG totally. Then, Amit told me that he had written it in the OMG format because Paresh Rawal had asked him to stay as close to OMG as possible in terms of the narrative. Paresh had worked with him in his earlier film, ‘Road To Sangam’ and they both shared a good camaraderie. But I had a concern – OMG cannot be made without Akshay Kumar or his approval, since I was aware that the IP rights of the film belonged to him.”
He also said, “Amit had asked the same question to Paresh and Paresh had told him that the IP belonged to him (Paresh) and there was nothing to worry about. Though Amit still had reservations, Paresh informed him that even if OMG Part 100 had to be made, only you will write and direct it, suggesting that HE was the film’s rightful owner. That’s why Amit went ahead and finished his script, which is entirely his own. The only difference was that the character of God (which was later played by Akshay Kumar) was that of a fakir.”
The producer said, “That’s when it began clear to me what Paresh was trying to do. He was trying to make a version of OMG under a different name, which is unethical and unprofessional. It was trying to steal someone else’s creation and property, and use it under a guise. For me, that is nothing short of a theft. Paresh says in his podcast that he approached several actors with this script and they all turned it down. He forgets to mention why they all turned it down. They did so because they all told him – this is OMG and that is Akshay Kumar’s film. Why should we tread into something that belongs to him? Or go and get his approval, they all said. I realised then that the script needed to be protected and that’s when my company (Wakaoo Films) acquired the script.”
OMG 2 stars Akshay Kumar, Pankaj Tripathi, Yami Gautam in key roles. Written and directed by Amit Rai, the film can be streamed on JioHotstar and Netflix.
Also Read: Paresh Rawal praises Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar says ‘I felt I should have been part of it’
