The controversy surrounding ‘OMG 2’ took a dramatic turn after the producer Ashwin Varde replied to: Paresh Rawal:recent allegations by. Days later the veteran actor admitted that the idea behind the Akshay Kumar-starrer is his and that he was denied due to the credit, Varde issued a detailed statement, rejecting the accusations and alleging that Rawal tried to make a version of the film without Akshay Kumar’s involvement.
The producer refuted Paresh Rawal’s allegations
In an interview with Pinkvilla, Ashwin Varde called Paresh Rawal’s claims “shocking” and “baseless,” as he felt compelled to present his side of the story. “The accusations made by Paresh Rawal in a recent podcast related to ‘OMG 2’ are shocking, untrue and unreliable. These allegations leave me with no choice but to publicly set the record straight. I want to share my version of the ‘OMG 2’ journey, as it really happened,” said Varde.
How the script reached Ashwin Varde
The producer revealed that actor Pavan Malhotra introduced him to the writer-director Amit Rai. Although they initially met to discuss another project, Amit later narrated a story that instantly reminded Varde of ‘OMG’. According to Varde, Amit revealed that Paresh Rawal encouraged him to write the script in a narrative style similar to ‘OMG’.“When I first heard it, my immediate reaction was that this subject is similar to the format of ‘OMG’ completely. Then, Amit told me that he wrote it in the format of ‘OMG’ because Paresh Rawal asked him to stay as close to ‘OMG’ as possible in terms of narration,” he recalls.Ashwin claimed that Amit Rai initially expressed concerns about intellectual property rights related to ‘OMG’, but said Paresh Rawal assured him that he was not worried. The producer added that the actor wants to continue without Akshay Kumar, even though the franchise is closely associated with him.“That’s when it became clear to me what Paresh was trying to do. He was trying to make a version of ‘OMG’ under a different name, which is unethical and unprofessional. It was trying to steal others’ creativity and property, and use it under a cap.
Why did other actors refuse the film?
Referring to Paresh Rawal’s statement that many actors have rejected the project, Varde admitted that there is a reason behind the rejections.“Paresh said in his podcast that he approached several actors with this script and they all turned it down. He forgot to mention why they all turned it down. They did it because they all told him, this is ‘OMG’ and that’s Akshay Kumar’s film. Why should we step on something that belongs to him?Ashwin added that his production house eventually acquired Amit Rai’s script, which remains officially registered in the filmmaker’s name.
Paresh Rawal was approached for a role, said Varde
Despite the disagreements, Varde says that Paresh Rawal remains the first choice for an important role in ‘OMG 2’. He revealed that several meetings were held with the actor, including discussions at the Willingdon Club, Mangii Ferra and Soho House in Mumbai. According to Varde, he informed Rawal that the script would first be shown to Akshay Kumar because it was similar to ‘OMG’.“I told him that I have to take this script to Akshay Kumar first because it was too ‘OMG’ and it would be rude of me not to do it. I was surprised by his reaction. He reiterated that this film cannot be ‘OMG’ without giving any plausible reason,” he said.Varde alleged that eventually it became apparent that Rawal did not want Akshay Kumar involved in the project.The producer also dismissed Paresh Rawal’s claim that he deserves credit for the story. According to Varde, Amit Rai remains the sole writer of ‘OMG 2’, and Rawal’s involvement is limited to acting. He further claimed that the actor was offered the film, a deal was exchanged, and he was also paid according to the contract.“Throughout this journey, I have reiterated that Paresh’s participation in the film is purely in the capacity of an actor and nothing else,” Varde stated.
Ashwin Varde’s last answer:
Concluding his statement, the producer insisted that no one tried to deprive Paresh Rawal of credit or recognition. “I want to reiterate that no one tried to cheat Paresh Rawal in anything. The only thing we are guilty of is stopping him from doing the same,” said Varde.