OMG 2 director Amit Rai says he folded his hands in front of censor board for UA certificate: ‘Must have sent 70 messages to Prasoon Joshi’

OMG 2 director Amit Rai recalled his conversation with the censor board and how he requested CBFC chairperson Prasoon Joshi to grant them a UA certificate.

OMG 2 stars Akshay Kumar and Pankaj Tripathi in the lead roles.

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OMG 2, starring Pankaj Tripathi and Akshay Kumar, released in theatres three weeks ago after a long battle against the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The film, which talks about sex education for teenagers, released with an ‘adults only’ certificate and in a recent interview, director Amit Rai said that he actually folded his hands in front of CBFC for them to grant a UA certificate.

Recalling his conversations with the censor board, Amit told Bollywood Hungama, “I remember clearly that I folded my hands.” He added that as he was leaving after the screening of OMG 2 for the board, he said that even though they had the option for a direct OTT release, they had chosen the theatrical route because it would be better for the film’s subject. “I told them that you are doing the wrong thing because if this film goes on OTT… Like let’s assume I didn’t come to you for censorship, and if the producers had thought let this be… but we feel that this is for the theatrical audience that is why they have taken this risk,” he recalled.

Amit Rai said that even when the teaser went for certification, the censor board asked them to cut a shot that was from OMG, which released in 2012. The makers obliged but were not prepared for the heavy censorship that was coming their way. When asked about how many cuts they were asked to make in the film, Amit said that the board took a few steps, and the makers took a few steps to find a middle ground and so, they landed on the modifications that were given by the CBFC.

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“Because they could see that we were coming everyday. It’s not like they were cruel but I feel they had their own limitations, their past experiences. The government has given them certain responsibilities and they must have a lot of pressure on them,” he said.

Amit then said that after the release of OMG 2, when they were getting a lot of appreciation, he started reaching out to the censor board via media and asked them to reconsider the certification. “I started telling them through the media that ‘sir, I am folding my hands that you please make this UA because the intention was such that the families watch it. You have defeated its purpose,'” he said.

The filmmaker also shared that he must have sent at least 70 messages to Prasoon Joshi (CBFC chairperson) since the release but he hasn’t responded to any messages yet. “I must have sent 70 messages to Prasoon Joshi. The moment I get a review, I send it to him. But I haven’t gotten any replies from him. I sent him a message that ‘Sir, please talk to me once, we will find a middle ground and it will be good for the film, good for the audience,’ but no response,” he said.

Amit concluded by saying, “After making a mistake, if you admit that you have made a mistake, I don’t think it makes you a smaller person.”

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OMG 2 has been appreciated by critics and the audience. The film follows the journey of a father and son who are battling social taboos so teenagers can learn about sex education. Akshay plays the ‘messenger of god’ in the film.

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