Earlier this week, actor Paresh Rawal sparked controversy by claiming that the central idea for OMG 2 originated with him, but was taken away and turned into a franchise film without his consent. He alleged that he was never credited for the concept and claimed the project underwent a major transformation after Akshay Kumar came on board. According to Rawal, the film was initially conceived as a standalone story about a father and son, and not as a sequel to the 2012 hit OMG – Oh My God.Now, OMG 2 writer-director Amit Rai has responded to the allegations. In an Conversation with Variety India, Rai categorically denied Rawal’s claims and maintained that the film was entirely his creation. “I am the writer of OMG 2; it is my story and script, and I have only directed it. I don’t know what new thing Paresh sir is saying. I have a lot of respect for him. I respect his work; I am a big fan of his and have also worked with him. Since he is talking about the credit, you will find out by watching the film whether he has got the credit or not. His name is written in the opening credits of the film along with his partner. So, I don’t understand why he is saying what he is saying.”Rai further asserted that every aspect of the film, from its conception to execution, was his own work and that the entire writing process is officially documented. “The truth of my part is that the script, the concept, the writing, the shooting and the character design, everything is there with the stamp of the Screenwriters’ Association with my name. Every time the script has changed, every time new drafts have been made, it has the stamp.”Addressing Rawal’s allegation that his idea had been taken away, Rai said he had no intention of claiming anyone else’s work. “I am not here to take anyone’s rights. I am here to work. I also don’t understand how many other films he has imagined he has written and have been based on his ideas. As far as I remember, there is not a single film in his entire career that he has imagined and given to someone to make. Not before OMG 2 and not even after OMG 2.”The filmmaker also questioned why Rawal chose to raise the issue nearly three years after the film’s release. “Why is he talking about this film now? I think it is his personality; he will know it himself. I think it is a fight between two stalwarts, and I have nothing to say about that. I think he should have said this a little earlier. The film was released three years ago. I mean, he must have seen the film on the screen. So, what was he doing then? I don’t know what he is going to achieve with this malicious intent. But I still have regard and respect for him.”Also Read | The Odyssey Box Office Collection Worldwide Day 1: Nolan’s epic earns Rs 17.4 cr in India, $17.6 mn in previewsAshwin Varde also backs Amit RaiOMG 2 producer Ashwin Varde also publicly defended the film’s origins and rejected Rawal’s allegations. Speaking to Pinkvilla, Varde accused the veteran actor of attempting to create a separate version of OMG under a different title. “The accusations made by Paresh Rawal in a recent podcast pertaining to OMG 2 are shocking, untrue and unsubstantiated. These allegations leave me with no option but to publicly set the record straight. I would like to share my version of the journey of OMG 2, as it really happened.”Story continues below this adThe producer further said that while the story resembled the format of OMG, neither he nor Amit Rai wanted to move ahead without Akshay Kumar because the franchise’s intellectual property rights belonged to him. “When I first heard it (the story of OMG 2), my immediate reaction was that this subject resembled the format of OMG totally. Then, Amit told me that he had written it in the OMG format because Paresh Rawal had asked him to stay as close to OMG as possible in terms of the narrative. Paresh had worked with him in his earlier film, Road To Sangam and they both shared a good camaraderie. But I had a concern, OMG cannot be made without Akshay Kumar or his approval, since I was aware that the IP rights of the film belonged to him.”Varde claimed Rawal had assured Rai that he owned the rights to the franchise, prompting the director to continue writing the script. “Amit had asked the same question to Paresh and Paresh had told him that the IP belonged to him (Paresh) and there was nothing to worry about. Though Amit still had reservations, Paresh informed him that even if OMG Part 100 had to be made, only you will write and direct it, suggesting that he was the film’s rightful owner. That’s why Amit went ahead and finished his script, which is entirely his own. The only difference was that the character of God (which was later played by Akshay Kumar) was that of a fakir.”Varde alleged that he eventually realised Rawal was attempting to make a version of OMG without involving Akshay Kumar. “That’s when it began 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 someone else’s creation and property, and use it under a guise. For me, that is nothing short of a theft.” He added that his company later acquired the script to safeguard it. “I realised then that the script needed to be protected and that’s when my company (Wakaoo Films) acquired the script.”‘He wanted to keep Akshay Kumar out of the project’Varde also rejected Rawal’s claim that he deserved writing credit, stating that the script has always been registered solely under Amit Rai’s name. “The script was and is still registered under the name of Amit Rai who is the sole writer of the film. It is completely unfair and unwarranted on Paresh’s part to have expected any kind of credit for the film’s script, since this is something he never mentioned to me in our many meetings. Perhaps because it is simply not true.”Story continues below this adThe producer further claimed that Rawal had opposed taking the script to Akshay Kumar despite its similarities with OMG. “I met Paresh for the third time at the Soho House in Juhu where I told him that I would have to take this script first to Akshay Kumar since this is too much like OMG and it would be unethical on my part not to do so. I was shocked to see his reaction. He was emphatic that this film cannot be OMG; he kept repeating that without giving any plausible reason. It became obvious after a point that he wanted to keep Akshay Kumar out from the project for reasons best known to him.”Varde also claimed that Rawal had received due credit and remuneration for OMG 2 despite not contributing to its writing. “I must also state that Paresh Rawal was given due credit as the producer in OMG 2, even though he had made zero contribution to it. He chose to give the credits to his wife, Swaroop Paresh Rawal and his business partner, Hemal Thakkar. Not just that, Paresh Rawal was also paid a stipulated amount of money for OMG 2, which he conveniently forgets to mention in his recent interview.”Also Read | In Diljit Dosanjh’s Satluj, the state writes the obituary but the river remembers the truthWhat Paresh Rawal said?During a recent conversation with Vickey Lalwani, Paresh Rawal claimed that OMG 2 was based on his original idea and that he never received credit for it. “I had approached Amit Rai, the director of Road to Sangam, and asked him if he was planning another film. I admire him a lot. I told him, ‘I have an idea. Let’s sit and write it.’ I told him I wasn’t a writer but I could contribute ideas and help identify where we were going wrong because I understand screenplay to some extent.”Story continues below this adHe also claimed that the original concept was significantly different from the final film. “Our main idea was to have a biker guiding the father, not God. In the first OMG, God appeared because the case was against God. But this film was about a father’s fight to get justice for his son. There was no need for a divine character. We wanted someone like Kader Khan’s character in Muqaddar Ka Sikandar.”Rawal further alleged that despite conceiving the story, he was denied credit. “The saddest part is that I wasn’t even given credit for the story or the concept. My name wasn’t mentioned anywhere. Amit, Akshay, Ashwin, Ajay Devgn, Karan Johar and Salman Khan… all know it was my idea and my story. Ajay and Salman probably said no because of the subject. They thought it could become controversial. I tried explaining the concept to them.”Released in 2023, OMG 2 starred Akshay Kumar and Pankaj Tripathi. The sequel followed the 2012 blockbuster OMG – Oh My God, which featured Akshay Kumar alongside Paresh Rawal.