Khushboo Singh
In 2012’s epic Gangs of Wasseypur, Manoj Bajpayee and Pankaj Tripathi played bitter foes. This year, they both appeared in courtroom plays that used Hinduism to correct social wrongs. Bajpayee borrows from mythology to put a monster godman to justice in the decent if self-serious thriller Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai(on ZEE5). Tripathi uses almost similar strategies in OMG 2. But he also adds the actor’s unique brand of comedy softness. His persona quotes serenely and softly from the Kamasutra, Khajuraho, and Panchatantra. When he does raise his voice in court, it usually gets a good chuckle.The 2012 comedy film OMG – Oh My God!, starring Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal, and Mithun Chakraborty, was followed by the sequel OMG 2: Oh My God! Rawal and Chakraborty, both former members of parliament, have left the sequel. Only Kumar and the courageous Govind Namdev remain. The new film’s focus is not on religion, but rather sex education in schools, which is why its creators were trying to have it certified by the UA. The censor board, in its infinite wisdom, demanded several edits before awarding it a “A” (Adult) classification. Since there was already a franchise with the same name depicting a condemned criminal, Kumar’s character was reportedly changed from Lord Shiva to a type of’messenger’ of God.
The OMG 2 (Hindi) Movie
- Amit Rai Directs
- Members of the cast include Akshay Kumar, Pankaj Tripathi, Yami Gautam Dhar, Govind Namdev, and Arun Govil.
- Time of running: 156 mins.
Storyline:- Akshay Kumar’s role as a supernatural messenger who aids a distraught parent in his defamation claim against his son’s school.
The lead character of OMG 2, played by Pankaj Tripathi, is a Hindu Shiva temple vendor named Kanti Sharan Mudgal. From the orange tilaks and marigolds exchanged in prayer to the orange buntings and awnings decorating the temple grounds, we welcome him in a blaze of color. Kanti, his wife, and their two children all reside in a home provided by the temple. Their lives are quiet and unremarkable until the day when Vivek gets expelled from school. Kanti learns the youngster became severely addicted to masturbation after being bullied into believing he had a little appendage, and that the same group of bullies videotaped him while he was at it and posted the footage online.A physician (Brijendra Kala) advises Kanti about the crippling remorse that may affect youngsters who discover masturbation. We see everything unfold before our eyes as Vivek tries to take his own life and is saved by a mysterious man with dreadlocks and a heavenly grin. To provide a helping hand from up high, let me introduce you to Kumar, a messenger of Shiva who was just summoned. Kanti, who realizes he has failed as a parent, encourages his son to file a lawsuit against the school and the “hucksters” and “miracle workers” who have mislead him. Aware of his own complicity, he files suit against himself. A judge (Pavan Malhotra) and a smooth defense attorney (Yami Gautam Dhar) watch bewilderedly.Kanti’s courtroom arguments are frequently absurd and oversimplified at first, but end up making a serious point. He uses citations from ancient writings to emphasize the significance of sexuality and sexual health in Indian culture. The film succeeds in remaining light even as it steadily widens its scope of inquiry. Tripathi’s performance is reminiscent to Ted Lasso’s (with its upbeat tone and innate irritation). The tone of the picture is relentlessly comedic. The film assumes that once the audience has laughed a little and tension has eased (thanks to words like “hast-maithun” and “sex worker”), a greater realization might arise.The video makes extensive use of Hinduism in order to make its case for the inherent openness of Hindu thought. Kumar seems to like dressing up as Shiva, as seen by the white bull that often trails after him. The camera pans to a trident, shiv lingam, or framed picture of God every ten minutes or so. The judge for Malhotra gets angry, but ultimately caves in when Kanti transforms the courtroom into a symbolic shrine. Kamini is the name of Yami Gautam’s character, and it is derived from the Sanskrit term kma, which means sexual desire and pleasure.
However, the film is just as cautious. “When the world was taking baby steps, our Sanatan Hindu religion was soaring,” Kanti boasts, alluding to the rise of Hinduism, yet he makes no mention (even in passing) of the references to homosexuality in ancient Indian writings, despite his claims of an open and progressive past. His’sex education is vital’ speech has been met with backlash from religious conservatives of all stripes, as seen by the simultaneous televised protests of Hindu, Muslim, and Christian religious leaders. Having the openness and magic of a fantasy film makes OMG 2 superior to Ram Setu, but it also falls back on tired Macaulay-bashing in the film’s conclusion to explain the problems with Indian culture.
Both the film’s photography and editing leave plenty to be desired, and the CGI is also rather shoddy. Kanti’s easily startled wife, played by Geeta Agarwal Sharma, is hilarious. The violent and obnoxiously loud series Gadar, with which OMG 2 is competing in theaters, can be a bit of a party movie, and so can Kumar. The characters played by Sunny Deol always manage to be heard in the movies. However, let’s also hear what Pankaj Tripathi has to say.
