Paresh Rawal Claims OMG 2 Based on His Original Idea

Veteran actor Paresh Rawal has claimed that the concept behind Akshay Kumar-starrer OMG 2 originated from an idea he developed with filmmaker Amit Rai, alleging that he was never credited for the story despite being closely involved in its early stages.

In an interview to Vickey Lalwani's Youtube Channel, Rawal said he first approached Amit Rai, director of Road to Sangam, with the idea for a film centred on a schoolboy whose private video goes viral, turning his life upside down. According to Rawal, he contributed to the story development despite not being a writer and even helped shape the screenplay with inputs from sexologist Dr Prakash Kothari.

Rawal reportedly said the original story featured the boy's father as a tourist guide at the Khajuraho temple. He added that Rai later suggested making the character a part-time priest at the Mahakal Temple, and the two continued developing the script together.

The actor revealed that the project was initially pitched to filmmaker Anurag Kashyap and later to Dharma Productions' Somen Mishra, who he said felt the subject would not work.

Why Paresh Rawal opted out

Rawal said he had envisioned a biker guiding the boy's father and had approached Ajay Devgn and Salman Khan for the role. He deliberately avoided approaching Akshay Kumar because he did not want the project to be seen as a sequel to the 2012 hit OMG!

He later learnt that Akshay Kumar had become interested in the project through producer Ashwin Varde. He claimed the film eventually evolved into an OMG franchise sequel, something he had advised against, as per reports.

Rawal reportedly said Akshay Kumar personally requested him to be part of the film, but he declined because the final version no longer resembled the story he had helped create.

"I told him, 'This isn't the film I had envisioned. There is no role of God in this story.' That's why I walked away," Rawal stated.

'I wasn't given credit' says Rawal

Rawal alleged that despite contributing the original concept and story, he did not receive any credit in the film.

"The saddest part is that I wasn't even given credit for the story or the concept. My name wasn't mentioned anywhere. Amit, Akshay, Ashwin, Ajay Devgn, Karan Johar and Salman Khan all know it was my idea and my story," he claimed.

Released in 2023, OMG 2 starred Akshay Kumar and Pankaj Tripathi in lead roles and received critical acclaim for addressing sex education and social taboos. The film served as a spiritual sequel to the 2012 hit OMG – Oh My God!, in which Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal shared the screen.