OMG 2 review: Akshay Kumar, Pankaj Tripathi’s laugh-out-loud film sneaks in a timely message

Posted By: Shweta Khandal

Posted On: August 11, 2023

In the movie “OMG” from 2012, Paresh Rawal plays a sharp-tongued character who doesn’t believe in religion. This leads Krishna Vasudev Yadav from Gokul, who is like a god, to come to Earth and show him his mistakes.

The film criticizes the divisions of caste and religion and makes fun of people who pretend to be holy in all religions and take advantage of innocent believers.

One of the main characters talks about the Gita, Bible, and Quran in the same context. In short, OMG, featuring Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal, fearlessly mocks religious hypocrisies and we found it hilarious even as the skeptic Kanji Lal Mehta starts to believe in religion.

I was worried when I heard about OMG 2. This is 2023, and India is different now. With so much division around, can a movie talk about religion and religious figures without becoming overly preachy or favoring one group?

The sequel handles this well by taking a surprisingly progressive and open-minded perspective. It focuses on young people and their natural curiosity about their bodies, questioning why adults often lack trust in their exploration.

The movie doesn’t make these topics seem dirty or wrong, and it’s not something to be ashamed of. The film cleverly avoids the complexities of religious diversity and delivers a powerful message without being heavy-handed.

The movie also makes a clever decision by portraying its main character, Kanti Sharan Mudgal, as a devout follower of Lord Shiva. Pankaj Tripathi effortlessly steps into this role.

Kanti’s faith is put to the test when his teenage son faces bullying and harassment from his classmates and is let down by his teachers for being involved in what they consider “inappropriate actions.”

The courtroom, where Judge Purushottam Nagar (played by Malhotra, who hides his smiles during the proceedings), becomes Kanti’s battlefield as he fights for his son’s justice.

The determined lady lawyer Kamini Maheshwari (played by Yami Gautam, who learns her role well) represents the accused, the school principal, along with other deceptive and deceitful individuals.

Every time Kanti Sharan faces difficulties, Lord Shiva’s messenger, also known as his ‘doot,’ appears in various amusing forms. This messenger stands in for the lord himself, although we are not easily fooled, are we?

This divine messenger appears as a wandering holy man with long hair, and even as a colorful and playful character zooming around in a sports car.

It’s worth noting that Shiva, known for his cool and quirky nature, is the perfect god for such playful portrayals. In this movie, Akshay Kumar has even more fun with the role.

He plays the “antaryami,” possessing all knowledge, yet he brings a lightness to the character, not taking himself too seriously.

The appearance of Nandi, Lord Shiva’s bull, every time the messenger arrives, adds a humorous and fitting touch. This is one of the most enjoyable performances I’ve seen from Akshay Kumar in a while.

I was pleasantly surprised by OMG 2, more than I expected. It took me some time to adjust to the fact that the film was taking its mission very seriously—promoting sex education among school-going children and removing shame from such discussions.

The movie goes into detailed explanations and sticks with this approach. It also uses straightforward language, naming things as they are, even if it’s quite direct.

The writers of the dialogue seem to have had a great time, making us laugh despite a few clumsy jabs at the education system influenced by Macaulay, while highlighting the values of “sanatan dharm” (ancient Hindu traditions).

The pacing is uneven at times, and certain parts slow down the momentum. The use of “shuddh” Hindi is clever; it initially keeps things unclear, only to be followed by shocked-yet-happy understanding.

The film does have melodramatic moments and some song-and-dance sequences, including a brief “taandav” dance.

The film stays committed to its purpose, introducing sensitive topics with a humorous and amusing tone. It cleverly involves the gods in this approach, which is a brilliant strategy: if you have the gods on your side, you can get away with almost anything, even things that would usually be considered “ashleel” (vulgar).

For once, I didn’t mind being educated; I actually enjoyed the lessons that the very sincere and resolute Kanti Sharan Mudgal passionately delivers once he gets going.

Terms like “hasth maithun,” “ling,” “yoni,” and “naisargik kriya” roll off his skilled tongue effortlessly – Pankaj Tripathi’s excellent delivery plays a big role in this.

A mainstream Hindi film stepping up to support the importance of educating young people about these matters?

Being candid and truthful? Mentioning the insights of the Kamasutra? Expanding educational curricula to include sex education? Yes, yes, and yes. It’s truly remarkable.

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