Film: OMG 2

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Pankaj Tripathi, Yami Gautam Dhar

Director: Amit Rai

Rating: 4 Moons

Rakh vishwas, tu hai Shiv ka das! This undying faith in Lord Shiva or Mahadev helps Kanti Sharan Mudgal (Pankaj Tripathi) sail through rough waters. A devotee of Shiva, Kanti is an innocent and naive person who runs a pooja bhandar outside Mahakal's temple in Ujjain. His day begins with Jai Shri Mahadev and ends with it. But will Mahadev come to his rescue when Kanti's teenage son Vivek is caught masturbating in his school? His MMS of masturbating goes viral and Kanti lands in court to take action against the school of elites for not encouraging sex education.

OMG 2, the sequel to Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal's 2012 film OMG, retains the essence with which the franchise started 11 years ago. With the perfect blend of mythology, religion, social message and humour, the film imparts a valuable lesson which is the need of the hour. Telling yet another poignant story set in a small town, the makers build a realistic world that will strongly resonate with the audience in Tier 2 and 3 cities. 

Director Amit Rai has given enough weightage to every subplot. Be it faith in God, the necessity to understand the difference between good touch and bad touch or a larger-than-life touch to Akshay, he creates a cinematic treat without deviating from the core theme. He doesn't let his vision get affected as OMG 2 is brave yet poetic and strong but delicate. The first half of the film is entertaining with respect to the story building. Shivgan and Kanti's interactions are eye-opening and hilarious. The way the dialogue changes from 'rakh vishwas tu hai Shiv ka das' becomes 'rakh vishwas tu hai Shiv ke paas' is reassuring. 

In OMG 2, directed and written by Amit Rai, an important topic has been dealt with utmost sensitivity. Not to forget, the director-writer infuses humour even in the most tense courtroom scenes. The scenes in which Kanti explains the importance of sex education in Hindi are delightful to watch. The Gadar plugin by Akshay is a masterstroke considering the films are releasing together in theatres. 

While OMG 2 is an eye-opener everyone must watch, it gets preachy in the courtroom scenes at times. The film gets spice and flavour with the entry of Kamini Maheshwari (Yami Gautam Dhar). She may be elite but her thoughts are pretty regressive. The conflict gets smarter and funnier when Kanti and Kamini clash in the 'temple of justice'. 

Speaking of the performances, Akshay Kumar nails it as Shiv Ka Das. The swag he carries is unmatched and only he could have done it so well. Akshay is a scene stealer and his screen presence is infectious. The superstar pulls off tandav performances like a perfectionist. The interval portion featuring him covered in ash is a spectacle.

There's no doubt that Pankaj's Hindi cannot be matched by anybody in the industry. OMG 2 proves it. He transforms into Kanti like a chameleon. That's the magic of his performance. Displaying his top-notch act in the film, he gives a character that will be remembered for years to come. 

Yami Gautam in a grey role? Bring it on! Wearing the lawyer's court, she displays her range as a performer. Carrying Kamini's arrogance, poise and grace effortlessly, she is the spice in OMG 2. We would have loved to see her comic side more often in the film.

OMG 2's songs Har Har Mahadev and Oonchi Oonchi Waadi fit the narrative beautifully. They don't seem forced. The cinematography is excellent. While the runtime of OMG 2 is longer than usual, it doesn't harm. 

OMG 2 sends out an important message with the right dose of humour. It is a perfect weekend watch with the family.

PeepingMoon gives OMG 2 4 Moons