Amit Rai says CBFC ‘killed’ OMG 2’s family audience by issuing ‘A’ certificate: “Maybe it would have been neck and neck with Gadar 2”

The Independence Day 2023 clash between Akshay Kumar and Pankaj Tripathi's OMG 2 and Sunny Deol's Gadar 2 showcased divergent fates. Gadar 2 triumphed, entering the coveted Rs. 500 crore club, while OMG 2, despite a respectable Rs. 150.17 crore collection, faced hurdles. The Central Board for Film Certification (CBFC) demanded 27 cuts for OMG 2, which focused on its exploration of sex education and other sensitive themes. Filmmaker Amit Rai recently said that extensive cuts severely impacted the film.

In a recent interview with DNA, Amit Rai said, “The year set a record for Hindi cinema in terms of footfalls, I believe. And I feel if my film did not have the A-certificate, this record would have been even bigger. I don’t know how much this film could have done. If it wasn’t an A-certificate film, then maybe it would have been neck and neck with Gadar 2, minting money at the box office, because families would have come for it. The censor board killed half of my family audience when they gave it an A-rating. The censor board hurt me financially too and in terms of content as well. But those are bygones.”

He added, “I was able to get the film out in the manner I wanted. But yes, the censor did demotivate me a bit but it became a democratic film. Across the world, people from all sections of society and all age groups saw it and their reaction proves that my efforts have succeeded. All we wanted to do was to start a conversation in the family, among the kids. I think we have been successful, to some extent, in doing that,” says the director.”

Back in September 2023, Amit Rai said he almost begged CBFC to change its decision regarding OMG 2. “Haath toh jhoda tha maine. Nikalte waqt yeh kahan bhi tha ki aap yeh bahut galat kar rahein hai (I folded my hands. Even when they were leaving, I told them that what they were doing was wrong),” he told Bollywood Hungama.

Presented by Viacom18 Studios, in association with Cape of Good Films and Wakaoo Films, OMG 2 is written and directed by Amit Rai. The film is produced by Aruna Bhatia, Jyoti Deshpande, Ajit Andhare, Swaroop Paresh Rawal, Hema A. Thakkar, Vipul D. Shah, Ashwin Varde, and Rajesh Bahl. ALSO READ: EXCLUSIVE: Amit Rai reveals that CBFC’s decision beat the purpose of OMG 2 since it never reached its target audience; says, “Haath toh jhoda tha maine unke”

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