Producer Ashwin Varde has publicly and strongly refuted actor Paresh Rawal's recent claims about the making of OMG-2, alleging that Rawal had actively sought to keep Akshay Kumar out of the project — despite the franchise's intellectual property belonging to the superstar. Varde issued a detailed statement on 17 July, calling Rawal's allegations 'shocking, untrue and unsubstantiated.'

How OMG-2 Came Together

According to Varde, it was senior actor Pavan Malhotra — his collaborator on Mubarakan — who first recommended writer-director Amit Rai to him. The two met for a different project but stayed in touch, and during a casual conversation at Rai's office in Bandra, Mumbai, Rai briefly narrated a subject that eventually became OMG-2.

Varde recalled that when he first heard the concept, his immediate reaction was that it closely resembled the format of the original OMG. Rai reportedly confirmed this, explaining that Paresh Rawal had instructed him to stay 'as close to OMG as possible in terms of the narrative.' The two shared a working relationship from Rai's earlier film Road To Sangam.

The IP Dispute and Akshay Kumar's Ownership

Varde said his primary concern from the outset was the ownership of the franchise. 'OMG cannot be made without Akshay Kumar or his approval, since I was aware that the IP rights of the film belonged to him,' he stated. He alleged that when Rai raised the same question with Rawal, the actor claimed the intellectual property belonged to him and assured the director there was 'nothing to worry about.'

Varde further alleged that Rawal went so far as to tell Rai that 'even if OMG Part 100 had to be made, only you will write and direct it' — implying Rawal considered himself the franchise's rightful owner. In the original script, the character of God — later played by Akshay Kumar — was written as a fakir.

Varde's Allegation: An Attempt to Sideline Akshay Kumar

Varde alleged that Rawal's intent was to produce an OMG-like film under a different title, bypassing Kumar entirely. '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… For me, that is nothing short of a theft,' Varde said in his statement.

He also addressed Rawal's claim that multiple actors had rejected the script. According to Varde, those actors turned the project down precisely because they recognised it as Akshay Kumar's franchise and refused to proceed without his approval. It was at this point that Varde's company, Wakaoo Films, acquired the script to protect it. He maintained that the script remains solely registered under Amit Rai's name, and that Rawal's expectation of writing credit was 'completely unfair and unwarranted.'

The Meetings and Rawal's Refusal

Varde said he subsequently met Rawal on three occasions — at the Willingdon Club in Mahalaxmi, at Mangii Ferra restaurant in Juhu, and at Soho House in Juhu — initially to discuss casting him in the film. It was at the third meeting that Varde told Rawal he would need to take the script to Akshay Kumar first, given its similarity to OMG. He said Rawal's reaction was emphatic: 'His was emphatic that this film cannot be OMG, he kept repeating that without giving any plausible reason.'

Despite the dispute, Varde said Rawal remained the first actor approached for the film, and that Akshay Kumar personally spoke to Rawal to convince him to participate. Rawal refused to change his stance, and after nearly two months, the production moved on — with Pankaj Tripathi eventually coming on board.

Credits, Payment, and Rawal's Counter-Claims

Varde further claimed that Rawal was given producer credit on OMG-2 despite making 'zero contribution,' and that Rawal chose to route those credits to his wife, Swaroop Paresh Rawal, and his business partner, Hemal Thakkar. He also stated that Rawal was paid a 'stipulated amount of money' for the film — a detail Rawal had not mentioned in his recent podcast interview.

The dispute follows Rawal's public claim that the original concept of a film addressing sex education and parent-child relationships was his idea, and that he was denied story and concept credit after OMG-2 was made. Rawal has said creative differences — specifically over the inclusion of the God character — led him to exit the project. With both sides now on record, the controversy is likely to draw further scrutiny over creative ownership norms in Bollywood.