Paresh Rawal has claimed that the original idea behind OMG 2 came from him, adding that the film underwent significant changes after Akshay Kumar came on board. Speaking to Vickey Lalwani, the veteran actor also alleged that he did not receive credit for the story or concept despite being closely involved in its early development.
Paresh Rawal recalls developing the original concept
Rawal said he first approached filmmaker Amit Rai with the idea after watching Road to Sangam. He asserted, "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."
He went on to reveal, "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. We developed the script together and even brought sexologist Dr Prakash Kothari on board. We had several meetings because our intention was to make the film educational, entertaining and not vulgar. We were deeply involved in the process."
'There was no need for a divine character'
According to Rawal, the project was never conceived as a sequel to OMG and did not feature a godly figure. He said, "Our main idea was to have a biker guiding the father, not God. In the first OMG, God appeared because the case was against God. But this film was about a father's fight to get justice for his son. There was no need for a divine character. We wanted someone like Kader Khan's character in Muqaddar Ka Sikandar."
He further revealed that he had initially considered Ajay Devgn and Salman Khan for the biker's role: "I didn't approach Akshay because people would have assumed it was OMG 2, whereas that wasn't the plan."
How Akshay Kumar came on board
Rawal said he later learnt that Akshay Kumar wanted to do the film after the script reached him through producer Ashwin Varde. He continued, "I was under the impression that we were still figuring things out. We even had a meeting with Vipul Shah of Optimystix. They also asked about Akshay, and I said if I wanted to make it with him, I would have approached him directly. Akshay and I were partners in OMG. I didn't need anyone to bridge the gap. A few days later, Amit Rai called and told me Akshay wanted to do the film. The issue was that Amit had tentatively written 'OMG 2' on the script because the genre was similar."
He added, "In one of our meetings, Ashwin Varde was present. That's when they decided they wanted to do it with Akshay."
Why Paresh Rawal declined the film
Rawal said Akshay later requested him to be a part of the project, but he declined because he no longer recognised the story: "I spoke to Akshay. He asked me to do the film. 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. I knew exactly what it was supposed to be. That's why I walked away."
The actor also claimed he did not receive any acknowledgement for his contribution to the original concept: "The saddest part is that I wasn't even given credit for the story or the concept. My name wasn't mentioned anywhere."
He further said, "Amit, Akshay, Ashwin, Ajay Devgn, Karan Johar and Salman Khan... all know it was my idea and my story. Ajay and Salman probably said no because of the subject. They thought it could become controversial. I tried explaining the concept to them."
Neither Akshay Kumar, director Amit Rai nor the producers of OMG 2 have publicly responded to Paresh Rawal's claims at the time of writing.
Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Paresh Rawal reveals, “We’ll miss Govinda in Bhagam Bhag 2”; opens up on Akshay Kumar-Manoj Bajpayee casting: “It’ll make for a different and unique combination”
