OMG 2 director on how Akshay Kumar's advice helped avoid criticism over masturbation scene

OMG 2 was released in cinema halls on August 11 alongside Gadar 2. Despite the massive business that the Sunny Deol starrer has been doing, Akshay Kumar, Pankaj Tripathi and Yami Gautam's film has also emerged as a critical and commercial success. Director Amit Rai spoke about his latest release and detailed how Akshay got involved in the project above and beyond the roles of a producer and an actor.

3 things you need to know

• OMG 2 will enter the Rs 100 crore club at the box office by the end of its second weekend.
• Amit Rai said that Akshay Kumar gave inputs on how to depict the masturbation scene in the film.
• The director also lauded Akshay's involvement in all aspects of the film. 

Amit Rai details Akshay Kumar's involvement in the film

Amit Rai revealed how Akshay Kumar advised him to film a crucial scene in OMG 2 to avoid any sort of criticism. The movie was cleared with 27 modifications by the CBFC and was awarded an A certificate. Amit said that Akshay played an instrumental role in helping him how to avoid criticism over scenes, especially one that involves onscreen masturbation, featuring child actor Aarush Varma. 

(Akshay Kumar plays the role of Lord Shiva's messenger in OMG 2 | Image: X)

"He (Akshay Kumar) had inputs like a producer, I'd say more like a creative producer. If you see some improvisations, it is equally his. He gave inputs on how to avoid criticism. The masturbation scene for example, he asked me to shoot it properly and said, 'We will see about it later'. I am very open in how I want to tell my stories," Amit said.

He continued, "Censor rules dictate that you can't show a child below 18 in that manner under the POCSO act. When the film was passed by the censor board, he reminded me that 'Sir I used to tell you but you insisted on shooting it in that way. If you want to change it now, you don't have to reshoot it. You have no time'. He has experience of 300 films and I benefitted from it."

On Akshay's excitement about the film

Amit Rai said that Akshay Kumar was very interested in the subject when he was narrated the film back during the Covid-19 pandemic. The director said that Akshay even narrated the script to Yami Gautam, who plays the role of a lawyer in the film. 

"He has done social films like Toliet, Padman and others in the past. OMG 2 was leagues ahead in its message. Every film gives you a high. For this film, if I had 80% enthusiasm, he (Akshay Kumar) had 8000 % enthusiasm. He had memorised all 98 scenes from start to finish, including the montages. He used to take the lead during narration and I was mesmerised to see how he was narrating my story better than me. He did it in a filmy manner. He narrated the story to Yami Gautam himself."

The movie is running in cinema halls now. When asked if OMG 2 should be made tax-free, Amit reserved his comments.