Director: Amit Rai
Cast: Pankaj Tripathi, Yami Gautam Dhar, Pawan Malhotra, Akshay Kumar (in an extended cameo), Arun Govil and others
Where: In theatres near you
Rating: 2.5 stars
A lot of talking around OMG 2 has been done ever since it was announced. From bearing the brunt of censorship to social media outrage, the film has seen it all. Finally, it sees the light of the day but Amit Rai’s film is far from everything the franchise stands for. A hard-hitting courtroom drama with a dash of humour made OMG popular back in the day, but seems like the second part is a much preachy affair.
Kanti (Pankaj Tripathi), a lord Shiva devotee, files a case against the school, when his son gets rusticated by the top management for the act of masturbation in the premises. Opposing this case stands Kamini (Yami Gautam Dhar), daughter-in-law of the school owner. And, naturally, Akshay Kumar plays a catalyst as Lord Shiva. Will Kanti be able to prove his son innocent?
Writer-director Amit Rai picks up a great subject that questions the entire education system but fails to deliver an entertaining watch. His narrative is tiresome with too much talking. For a film that is made for enlightening the society, breaking norms and starting a conversation, the Censor Board giving an A certificate is itself a regressive thought. Amit definitely got the accent and dialect right, representing the local community of Madhya Pradesh.
The first half takes a lot more time than expected in establishing the core of the film, and thankfully, there is less of Akshay Kumar in the canvas. His apt screen time makes it sail through. However, there’s absolutely nothing objectionable throughout — a tight slap to those who made noise unnecessarily. Rather, Amit aesthetically voiced his film without hurting any religious sentiments.
Pankaj Tripathi is a sincere actor and OMG 2 is just another example. He surely brings newness to the franchise but the poor writing does not let him outshine in the film. Yami apes her own similar-looking roles of a lawyer — tries too hard to impress but all in vain. And since he is Akshay Kumar, so he has to be heroic and on the face, from his entry to exit. Pawan and Arun do justice to their respective parts.
OMG 2 over-promises but under-delivers. The film neither has the gravitas of a thought-provoking courtroom drama nor gives comic relief. It is merely yet another attempt at making a social experiment in mainstream culture on the shoulders of ‘The Akshay Kumar’.
