Bollywood filmmaker Amit Rai is currently basking in the success of his latest release, 'OMG 2', starring Pankaj Tripathi and Akshay Kumar. The film was mired in controversies ever since it was announced, but it finally managed to hit the theatres on August 11, albeit with over 25 cuts and modifications.
Besides playing the role of Lord Shiva in it, Akshay also co-produced 'OMG 2', and Amit Rai has now revealed that the script was originally rejected by filmmakers like Karan Johar and Ashutosh Gowariker.
He said that it is only because of Akshay that the film was made and it got to see the light of the day.
Amit Rai reveals KJo rejected OMG 2
In an interview with ETimes, Rai said that no one was ready to give him work after his 2009 film 'Road To Sangam', and that he was rendered jobless at home for almost 10 years.
He went on to say that when he came up with the idea of 'OMG 2', he approached filmmakers like Karan Johar and Ashutosh Gowariker with the script but all of them rejected it. "Finally, Akshay Kumar showed the courage to back it. He was very open to the script and said that the film needs to be made. Because of him we’re still standing strong otherwise ‘OMG 2’ wouldn’t have got made," he said.
Rai rued that when he finally shot the film and was ready with its final cut, the Censor Board stepped in and there was uncertainty about whether 'OMG 2' will be even allowed to release in theatres.
Amit Rai on OMG 2 vs CBFC row
The director shared that he tried to reason it out with the Censor Board as he had not shown anything offensive in 'OMG 2'.
However, when the CBFC ordered the cuts and changes in the film, Rai smartly worked his way out by finding loopholes in the order. "They said that I can’t quote Upanishads, but I can quote what is written so they were trapped. Words like Geeta and Yajurved got cut but the content did not," he shared.
Calling it a "nightmare" for the VFX team, he said that the all the edits were made in the film within 70 hours, so that it could be released in theatres on time.
