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Writer-director Amit Rai has reacted to Paresh Rawal’s claims about OMG 2’s script. The veteran actor recently claimed that he came up with the story of the Akshay Kumar starrer alongside Rai, but was never given his due credit. In a new interview, Rai questioned Rawal’s claims and even said that he had proof that the story belonged only to him.
Amit Rai told Hindustan Times, “Woh kis tathya ke adhaar pe ye keh rahe hain? First, he needs to answer this. He is merely making a claim. Kehne ko to woh kuch bhi keh sakte hain. Woh bade actor hain; I cannot go up to an actor of his stature and ask why is he saying this?”
The filmmaker added, “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.” He said that OMG 2 is his child and as far as he knows, he is the creator of the film. He said he raised the film to go to school and college.
“Maine film likhi hai aur bana di hai. Bohot jaldi jaag gaye hai woh,” Rai said. He added that Paresh Rawal’s claims could only be verified by the actor, the production house or Akshay Kumar.
What Did Paresh Rawal Say?
According to Paresh Rawal, his original version was a father-son drama about sex education, public humiliation and a parent’s fight for justice. It did not feature God or any other divine character. He also alleged that he received no credit for the story or concept in the finished film.
Speaking to Vickey Lalwani, Rawal mentioned, “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 centred on a schoolboy whose private act is recorded and circulated, leaving him socially ostracised. His father then attempts to defend him and challenge the shame imposed upon the child. He added that the screenplay was narrated to Anurag Kashyap and later to Somen Mishra from Dharma Productions. Recalling the latter’s response, Rawal said, “Somen outright said it wouldn’t work.”
The actor maintained that the story was never conceived as a direct sequel to OMG. Instead of a godly figure, he wanted a biker to guide the father through his legal and emotional battle. Rawal said he approached Ajay Devgn and Salman Khan for the biker’s role but deliberately stayed away from Akshay to avoid OMG 2 discussions.
Paresh Rawal claimed that discussions were still at an exploratory stage when the possibility of involving Akshay Kumar began surfacing. The actor said Amit Rai later informed him that Akshay Kumar wanted to take up the film. He believes the script reached Kumar through producer Ashwin Varde. Rawal then left the project as the story changed direction, and even refused to appear in the film.
