EXCLUSIVE: Amit Rai reveals that CBFC’s decision beat the purpose of OMG 2 since it never reached its target audience; says, “Haath toh jhoda tha maine unke”

Despite making a film on the importance of introducing sex education in schools, OMG 2 received an A certificate, which made the film unavailable to its target audience.

By Bollywood Hungama News Network -

September 2, 2023 - 4:29 PM IST

Akshay Kumar returned with one of the most beloved franchises of OMG yet again and this time the film dealt with the topic of sex education. OMG 2 stressed on the need of introducing this subject in schools but ended up losing its target audience, which were teenagers, because the CBFC passed the film with A certification. Despite a long struggle and continuous appeals made by its team, the decision was not revoked. In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, filmmaker Amit Rai opened up about his struggle with CBFC and what transpired when he approached the CBFC for the Pankaj Tripathi, Yami Gautam starrer.

EXCLUSIVE: Amit Rai reveals that CBFC’s decision beat the purpose of OMG 2 since it never reached its target audience; says, “Haath toh jhoda tha maine unke”

In the interview, Amit Rai revealed that he almost begged the Central Board of Film Certification to change its decision regarding OMG 2. “Haath toh jhoda tha maine. Nikalte waqt yeh kahaan bhi tha ki aap yeh bahut galat kar rahein hai (I begged them. Even when they were leaving, I told them that what they were doing was wrong),” he told Bollywood Hungama.

Further he revealed how the CBFC did not make many changes when the teaser was released and all they asked to change was a scene from OMG 1. He maintained that they didn’t want to get into the argument, and even though they were not convinced they agreed since it didn’t make much of a difference to the movie. However, when they reapproached the board for the certification of the entire film, they received a shocking reaction from the members which left them perplexed about the fate of their movie.

“Humein laga sab ho gaya hai censor se baat. Aur mujhe laga jab wo film dekhenge toh unhe behad pasand aayegi. Lekin andhar jaane ke baad teek 360 degree ki turn leli. Woh humse keh rahe the ki school ne sahi kiya bachhe ko nikaal ke aur hum keh rahe the ki bachha sahi hai. Hum dono viprit disha mein baat kar rahe the. (After the teaser, we thought everything is sorted. I truly believed that when they watch the film, they would love it. But post the screening, when they called us inside for the discussion, we realized that there is a 360 degrees turn in their reaction. They were defending the school’s decision of throwing the student out whereas we wanted the world to know that the student is actually right. We were both sharing opposing views)”, added Rai.

Rai went on to reveal that the CBFC team may have had their guidelines and restrictions, under which they were forced to arrive its decision, further asserting that he understands their situation too. They eventually arrived at a compromise, settling down for an A certification with a few modifications. However, the massive response that he received for OMG 2 prompted him to make continued requests to the board to reconsider their decision.

“Jab film aa gayi aur 4-5 din baad, chaaron taraf se shor hone laga, toh maine har media ke madhyam se bolna shuru kiya ki Sir main aapke haath jhodta ho, aap usko UA certficiate de dijiye, kisi special provision mein kar dijiye par kar dijiye. Kyunki hamara intention hi yahi tha ki family dekhe. Aapne uska purpose hi defeat kar diya. (After 4 to 5 days after the film’s release, when the film started creating a stir all around, I realized I should convey my message through the media wherein I begged the CBFC to grant the film a UA certificate, requested them to consider it under special provision, if any. Because our intention was to have the entire family watch the film. The decision of the CBFC had defeated the entire purpose of the movie),” added Rai.

OMG 2 features Pankaj Tripathi as the distraught father who decides to fight for his son, after he gets dismissed from school over a video clip whereas Yami Gautam plays his opposition lawyer. It features Akshay Kumar in an extended cameo as the messenger of Lord Shiva. The film released in theatres on August 11 alongside Sunny Deol, Ameesha Patel starrer Gadar 2.

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Taran Adarsh recalls saying to Akshay Kumar that OMG 2 is a rocket; hails it as “entertainer” and “enlightening”