OMG 2 Controversy: Veteran actor Paresh Rawal has sparked a fresh controversy after making several claims about OMG 2 during a recent interview. The actor said that the original idea behind the sequel belonged to him and alleged that he never received credit for it. He also claimed that he did not want the film to be made as part of the OMG franchise and had approached other actors for the role that was eventually played by Akshay Kumar.
Following his remarks, OMG 2 producer Ashwin Varde released a detailed statement, strongly denying Rawal’s allegations and sharing his version of how the film came together.
HERE’S WHAT OMG 2 PRODUCER HAS TO SAY ON PARESH RAWAL’S COMMENT
Calling the actor’s claims “shocking, untrue and unsubstantiated,” Varde told Pinkvilla that he felt compelled to publicly explain what actually happened behind the scenes. According to the producer, he first met writer-director Amit Rai through actor Pavan Malhotra while discussing another project. During one of their conversations, Rai narrated a story idea that later developed into OMG 2.
Varde revealed that when he first heard the concept, he immediately noticed its similarity to OMG. He said Amit Rai informed him that he had intentionally written the script in a similar style because Paresh Rawal had earlier asked him to stay close to the narrative structure of the first film. However, Varde claimed he immediately pointed out that an OMG sequel could not be made without Akshay Kumar’s involvement, as the intellectual property rights were with the actor.
According to the producer, Rawal had allegedly told Amit Rai that the rights to the franchise belonged to him. Based on that understanding, Rai completed the script. At that stage, the character that was later played by Akshay Kumar was reportedly written as a fakir instead of a divine figure.
Varde further alleged that Rawal was attempting to make a film that closely resembled OMG under a different title. He described the move as “unethical” and even called it “nothing short of a theft.” The producer also claimed that several actors who were approached for the project refused to come on board because they believed the story clearly belonged to the OMG franchise and was closely associated with Akshay Kumar.
PARESH RAWAL WANTED TO KEEP AKSHAY KUMAR AWAY FROM OMG 2?
To avoid further complications, Varde said his production house, Wakaoo Films, officially acquired the script. He stressed that the screenplay remains registered solely in Amit Rai’s name, making him the only writer of OMG 2.
The producer also recalled a meeting with Paresh Rawal at Soho House in Mumbai, where he informed the actor that the script had to be shown to Akshay Kumar before moving ahead. Varde claimed Rawal strongly opposed the idea and repeatedly insisted that the film should not become OMG 2. According to him, the actor did not provide any convincing reason for his stand, leading him to believe that Rawal wanted to keep Akshay away from the project.
He said, “I met Paresh for the third time at the Soho House in Juhu, where I told him that I would have to take this script first to Akshay Kumar since this is too much like OMG and it would be unethical on my part not to do so. I was shocked to see his reaction. He was emphatic that this film cannot be OMG – he kept repeating that without giving any plausible reason. It became obvious after a point that he wanted to keep Akshay Kumar out of the project for reasons best known to him.”
Despite the differences, Varde said the makers still wanted Rawal to be a part of the film. He revealed that both the production team and Akshay Kumar personally reached out to the veteran actor. However, Rawal allegedly declined the offer after nearly two months of discussions, forcing the team to move forward without him.
Addressing Rawal’s claim about not receiving due recognition, Varde maintained that the actor was given proper producer credit in OMG 2 despite having no creative contribution to the sequel. He added that Rawal later requested the credit be given to his wife, Swaroop Paresh Rawal, and business partner Hemal Thakkar.
The producer also stated that Rawal received the agreed payment for the film and concluded by saying that nobody had tried to cheat the actor, insisting that the makers only ensured the project was completed ethically and legally.
