OMG 2 Story Credit Row Escalates: Producer Ashwin Varde Rejects Paresh Rawal's Claims

The controversy surrounding the story and concept of OMG 2 has taken a fresh turn after producer Ashwin Varde strongly rejected actor Paresh Rawal's recent claims regarding the film's origin.

Responding to Rawal's allegations made during a recent interview, Varde described the claims as "shocking, untrue and unsubstantiated" and released a detailed statement explaining how the film was developed. He also alleged that Rawal had wanted to make a version of OMG without involving Akshay Kumar.

Ashwin Varde Says Script Was Written by Amit Rai

According to Varde, the story of OMG 2 was entirely written by writer-director Amit Rai.

He said he first met Rai for a different project, and during one of their meetings, Rai narrated a script that eventually became OMG 2. Varde added that his production house, Wakaoo Films, later acquired the script before discussions began with Paresh Rawal regarding his casting.

The producer maintained that Rawal had no involvement in writing the story or screenplay.

'Paresh Rawal Wanted Akshay Kumar Out of the Film'

Varde claimed that when he informed Paresh Rawal that the script needed to be shown to Akshay Kumar because of its similarities to the original OMG: Oh My God!, the actor strongly objected.

According to the producer, Rawal repeatedly insisted that the project should not be developed as an OMG film and allegedly wanted Akshay Kumar excluded from the project.

Varde said this raised concerns because the story bore similarities to the original film.

Producer Alleges Attempt to Make an Alternate Version of OMG

Ashwin Varde further alleged that Paresh Rawal wanted to create a film resembling OMG under a different title.

According to him, this would have amounted to using an existing intellectual property without involving the original stakeholders.

He said his company acquired Amit Rai's script to safeguard the project and ensure that the story was developed through proper channels.

Akshay Kumar Allegedly Tried to Convince Rawal

The producer also claimed that despite the disagreement, Paresh Rawal remained the team's first choice for the film.

According to Varde, Akshay Kumar personally spoke to Rawal in an attempt to persuade him to join the project.

However, after waiting nearly two months without a resolution, the makers decided to move forward without him.

Varde Says Rawal Was Only Considered as an Actor

Ashwin Varde maintained that Paresh Rawal's proposed involvement in OMG 2 was limited to acting.

He stated that an actor agreement had been exchanged and that Rawal neither contributed to writing nor producing the film.

The producer also claimed that although Rawal was offered producer credit, it was later assigned to Swaroop Paresh Rawal and Hemal Thakkar.

What Paresh Rawal Claimed

Earlier, Paresh Rawal had alleged that the original idea behind OMG 2 belonged to him.

According to the actor, his concept centred on:

• A father-son relationship.
• Sex education.
• Public humiliation.
• A parent's legal fight for justice.

Rawal said the original story did not include God or any divine character and was never conceived as a direct sequel to OMG: Oh My God!

He also claimed he did not receive credit for either the story or the concept.

Additionally, Rawal alleged that several members of the film industry, including Akshay Kumar, Amit Rai, Ashwin Varde, Ajay Devgn, Karan Johar and Salman Khan, were aware that the original idea came from him.

Background

Released in 2023, OMG 2 starred Akshay Kumar, Pankaj Tripathi and Yami Gautam.

The film explored the subject of sex education and underwent multiple modifications before release after scrutiny by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). It was eventually released with an 'A' certificate, with Akshay Kumar's character portrayed as a divine messenger instead of directly depicting Lord Shiva.

As of now, the dispute over the film's conceptual origins remains a matter of conflicting claims, and neither side's allegations have been independently verified.

Key Highlights

• Producer Ashwin Varde has rejected Paresh Rawal's claims over the story of OMG 2.
• Varde said the script was written solely by writer-director Amit Rai.
• He alleged that Rawal wanted to make a version of OMG without Akshay Kumar.
• Paresh Rawal has claimed that the original concept for the film belonged to him.
• The controversy remains unresolved, with both sides presenting conflicting accounts.

FAQs

Why is Paresh Rawal in the news over OMG 2?

Paresh Rawal claimed that the original idea for OMG 2 belonged to him and that he did not receive proper story or concept credit.

What has producer Ashwin Varde said?

Varde rejected Rawal's allegations, stating that the script was entirely written by Amit Rai and alleging that Rawal wanted to make a version of OMG without Akshay Kumar.

Who wrote the script of OMG 2, according to the producers?

Ashwin Varde said writer-director Amit Rai was the sole writer of the film.

Did Akshay Kumar try to bring Paresh Rawal into the film?

According to Ashwin Varde, Akshay Kumar personally attempted to convince Rawal to join the project, but the actor declined.

Has the story credit dispute been resolved?

No. Both Paresh Rawal and Ashwin Varde have made conflicting claims, and the matter remains unresolved.