Amit Rai recalls folding hands in front of CBFC members to get UA certificate for OMG 2: ‘Must have sent 70 messages...'

Akshay Kumar, Pankaj Tripathi, and Yami Gautam-starrer OMG 2 has been garnering praise from the audience. Despite getting an A certificate, the movie is having a blockbuster run at the box office. Recently, film director Amit Rai recalled folding his hands infront of CBFC members to get a UA certificate. 

In a recent conversation with Bollywood Hungama, OMG 2 director Amit Rai recalled requesting the censorship board multiple times to give the film UA certificate and said, “I remember clearly that I folded my hands.” He added, “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.” 

Amit Rai said that even when the teaser of the film went for certification, the censor board asked them to cut a shot that was from OMG, which was released in 2012. The makers obliged but were not ready for the heavy censorship that was coming their way. He added, “Because they could see that we were coming every day. 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.” 

Amit Rai added that he started reaching out to censor board through media after the release of OMG 2 when they were getting positive responses and said, “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.” 

The filmmaker also added that he must have sent 70 messages to CBFC chairperson Prasoon Joshi but got no response from him and said, “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 ‘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.” Amit Rai 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.” 

Helmed by Amit Rai, OMG 2 stars Akshay Kumar, Pankaj Tripathi, and Yami Gautam among others. The film is a spiritual sequel to the 2019 film OMG: Oh My God! and is being applauded by the netizens. Despite clashing with Sunny Deol’s Gadar 2 and getting an A certification, the movie has collected Rs 207. 40 crore at the box office worldwide.

Read Director Amit Rai reveals OMG 2 script was rejected by Karan Johar, Ashutosh Gowariker: 'Akshay Kumar showed courage'