OMG – Oh My God! explained

OMG – Oh My God!
Director:Umesh Shukla
Producer:Akshay Kumar
B.K. Modi
Vikram Malhotra
Based On:Kanji Virrudh Kanji[1]
The Man Who Sued God
Starring:Paresh Rawal
Akshay Kumar
Mithun Chakraborty
Music:Score:
Amar Mohile
Songs:
Himesh Reshammiya
Sachin–Jigar
Meet Bros. Anjjan
Cinematography:Sethu Sriram
Editing:Tushar Shivan
Rajesh Panchal
Studio:Viacom18 Motion Pictures
Spice Studios
Grazing Goat Pictures
Wave Cinemas
Distributor:Viacom18 Motion Pictures
Wave Cinemas[2]
Runtime:130 minutes[3]
Country:India
Language:Hindi
Budget:20 crores[4]
Gross:149.90 crores[5]

Oh My God! is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language satirical comedy drama film written and directed by Umesh Shukla and produced by Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, S Spice Studios, Grazing Goat Pictures, and Playtime Creations. The storyline is based on the Gujarati stage-play Kanji Virudh Kanji, which itself was inspired by the Australian film The Man Who Sued God.

The film stars Paresh Rawal, Akshay Kumar, and Mithun Chakraborty, along with Om Puri, Govind Namdeo, Poonam Jhawer, Puja Gupta, and Mahesh Manjrekar in pivotal roles.[6]

Made on a budget of, the film released on 28 September 2012 and received positive reviews from critics.[7] [8]

It was remade in Telugu as Gopala Gopala (2015) with Venkatesh, Pawan Kalyan, and Shriya Saran. It was also remade in Kannada as Mukunda Murari (2016) with Upendra and Sudeep.

A stand-alone sequel, OMG 2, with Akshay Kumar starring as Lord Shiva's messenger, along with Pankaj Tripathi and Yami Gautam in other lead roles, was theatrically released on 11 August 2023.

Plot

Kanji Lalji Mehta, a middle-class Gujarati atheist, owns a shop of Hindu idols and antiques in Mumbai. He mocks religious activities around him until one day, a low-intensity earthquake hits the city, with Kanji's shop being the only one destroyed; his family and friends blame this on his atheism.

At the insurance office, Kanji learns that the disaster claim does not cover any damage caused by natural calamities classified under "Act of God". Running out of options, he decides to sue God but fails to find a lawyer for such a lawsuit. Hanif Qureshi, a working class Muslim lawyer, helps him file the case after Kanji decides to fight on his own. Legal notices are sent to the insurance company as well as to religious people like Siddheshwar Maharaj, Gopi Maiyya, and their group's founder, Leeladhar Swamy, forcing them to court as representatives of God.

As the court case commences and gains attraction for its bizarre quality, Kanji finds himself facing armed fundamentalists and harassment, with his mortgage provider occupying the house, and his family leaving him. He is then rescued by Krishna Vasudev Yadav who claims to be a real estate agent originally from Gokul, Uttar Pradesh, yet is also responsible for supernatural acts outside of the human realm.

The lawsuit causes a public outcry. On Krishna's advice, Kanji goes to the media and gets wide coverage. Sympathisers join him in the lawsuit, causing the amount of claims to skyrocket and Catholic fathers and Muslim Maulvis to also be forced as defendants. When the court demands written proof that the earthquake was an 'Act of God,' Krishna steers Kanji toward holy books such as the Bhagavad Gita, The Holy Quran and Bible. Kanji reads them and finds a passage in each that says the world and all events are a creation of God and come from God's will alone. This strengthens his case and increases public support. However, Kanji suffers a stroke in court and is rushed to the hospital where he goes into a coma and is paralyzed. When he opens his eyes after a month, he finds Krishna, who reveals that he is god, and proves it by curing Kanji completely. He further reveals that He created the entire world, animals and humans but religion was created by humans, and he was the one who destroyed Kanji's shop because he sought to punish the godmen who showed his fear to the public, to earn money. He adds that he created the entire world and thus does not like to live in temples contrary to what the godmen claims and he is not interested in the offerings he gets from devotees. Instead, he created millions of humans who die of hunger and would be glad if those offerings were given to them instead. He figured out that an atheist like Kanji would end up exposing them if he destroys his Shop, and thus destroyed it by causing the disaster and started to help him with lawsuit by appearing as a human and befriending him and revealed himself in his true form so that Kanji realises that although he does exist, he does not live in temples, but in every creature he created.

Kanji learns that the lawsuit's verdict was in his favour, and religious organizations were ordered by the court to pay the compensation to all the plaintiffs. As a result of this, people have begun revering Kanji himself as a god. Leeladhar, Gopi Maiyya, and Siddheshwar have taken advantage of this by opening a temple dedicated to Kanji, and accumulating millions in donations. Krishna explains to Kanji that his job as God is to show people right and wrong – people do with it what they will. Kanji decides to fight back. He breaks his own statue, admonishing the crowd about trusting in God-men. He advises them to search for God in themselves and in others, not in statues; that God is everywhere, not just in temples, and faith should come from within. He tells them not to believe in fraudulent godmen, as their job is to turn religion into business.

After successfully completing the job, he goes back to thank Krishna, only to find that he along with his motorcycle has disappeared. Kanji’s family arrives and they get reunited. Kanji sees Krishna's keychain on the ground. When he is about to keep it, he hears Krishna's voice, telling him to get rid of the keychain as fear of God and reliance on religious objects was what he'd fought against. Kanji smiles and throws it away, watching as it disappears into the sky with a flash.

Cast

Production

Producer Akshay Kumar announced the film in 2012. Paresh Rawal who appeared in the original play Kishen vs Kanhaiya was cast in the lead role with Akshay Kumar playing the role of Krishna in the movie.[9] Mithun Chakraborty played a supporting role in the film. The filming was reported to have begun in January 2012.[10] Director Prabhu Deva appeared in an item number along with Sonakshi Sinha.[11] [12] [13] [14] [15]

Soundtrack

OMG – Oh My God!
Type:soundtrack
Artist:Himesh Reshammiya, Sachin–Jigar, Meet Bros Anjjan and Zubeen Garg
Released:12 September 2012
Genre:Feature film soundtrack
Label:T-Series
Producer:
  • Himesh Reshammiya
  • Sachin–Jigar
  • Meet Bros Anjjan

The soundtrack of OMG – Oh My God! was composed by Himesh Reshammiya, Sachin–Jigar and Meet Bros Anjjan whilst the lyrics were penned by Shabbir Ahmed, Kumaar, Swanand Kirkire and Subrat Sinha. The album features vocals by Reshammiya, Shreya Ghoshal, Kailash Kher, Benny Dayal, Ash King, Suraj Jagan, Keerthi Sagathia, Zubeen Garg, Meet Bros Anjjan, Arya Acharya, Mohammed Irfan, Aman Trikha and Parash Nath. The full audio album was launched on 12 September 2012 by T-Series. The song, 'Go Go Go Govinda' is based on the song 'Govinda Aala Re Aala' from Bluff Master (1963), sung by Mohammed Rafi.

Release

OMG – Oh My God! released worldwide on 28 September 2012.[9]

Critical reception

OMG received positive critical reviews.[16]

Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote that OMG – OH MY GOD! was a "thought-provoking adaptation of a massively successful play. A movie tackling a sensitive and an untouched subject matter, it will find its share of advocates and adversaries, but the social message the movie conveys comes across loud and clear and that's one of the prime reasons why OMG becomes a deserving watch".[17] Sukanya Verma of Rediff rated it 4 out of 5 reviewing "A brave and absorbing blend of satire, fable and fantasy that brings our attention to the misuse and commercialisation of religion".[18] Faisal Saif of Independent Bollywood rated it 4 out of 5 and said "Strongly Recommended. Fearless concept with some Fearless performances".[19]

Box office

The film had a low opening but showed good growth on its 2nd and 3rd day and collected nett in its opening weekend.[20] Despite a slow start, the film managed to gross collections of nett in its first week.[21] The film collected in its second week.[22] The film continued its successful run in its third week and make a total of around in three weeks.[23] The film raked another in its fourth week to make a total of in four weeks.[24] Overseas, OMG – Oh My God! grossed US$2.5 million in 10 days.[25] At the end of 17 days, OMG – Oh My God! had grossed .[26]

Awards

The movie was awarded the Best Hindi film award by Institute for Research and Documentation in Social Sciences (IRDS) during the second IRDS Hindi Film Awards for social concern. The film has won the award for Best Adapted Screenplay in 60th National Film Awards.[27]

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: Akshay waiting for Twinkle to see 'Oh My God'. The Times of India. 9 October 2012. 6 October 2012.
  2. Web site: Ponty Chadha's death is Bollywood's loss. Hindustan Times. 21 November 2012. 5 November 2022.
  3. Web site: OMG – OH MY GOD! (PG) – British Board of Film Classification. British Board of Film Classification. 24 October 2012. 19 September 2012.
  4. Web site: Oh my God, the film is a hit!. 2 October 2012. Hindustan Times.
  5. Web site: Akshay Kumar Box Office . Box Office India . 5 September 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150804025031/http://boxofficeindia.com/Star_Cast/actor_record_world_total/akshay_kumar/actor . 4 August 2015 .
  6. Web site: The underlying message of Khiladi Kumar's forthcoming comedy. Bollywood Life. 17 September 2012. 7 October 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121006110935/http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/how-did-omg-oh-my-god-change-akshay-kumar/. live. 6 October 2012.
  7. Web site: Oh my God, the film is a hit!. Hindustan Times. 2 October 2012. 2 October 2012. Shalvi Mangaokar. https://web.archive.org/web/20131103232846/http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/Oh-my-God-the-film-is-a-hit/Article1-938714.aspx. dead. 3 November 2013.
  8. Web site: OMG (OH MY GOD) movie review. Review Gang. 15 October 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121015090218/http://www.reviewgang.com/movies/322-OMG-Oh-My-God-movie-review. live. 15 October 2012.
  9. Web site: Taran Adarsh . OMG Oh My God! Cast & Crew . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121010052818/http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/moviemicro/cast/id/549384 . 10 October 2012 . 10 October 2012 . Bollywood Hungama.
  10. News: Special appearance in 'OMG'. 7 October 2012. The Times of India. 29 July 2012.
  11. Web site: Akshay and Paresh together again?. IBN Live. 2 January 2012. 21 March 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120307204836/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/salman-khan-vs-srk-in-akshay-kumars-oh-my-god/236322-8-66.html. 7 March 2012. dead.
  12. Web site: Go Govinda Go: Sonakshi as first female to break Dahi Handi . www.yahoo.com . 1 November 2022 . 3 August 2012.
  13. Web site: Sonakshi Sinha only a special appearance in OMG Oh My God!. 29 August 2012.
  14. Web site: OMG! Oh My God song Go go Govinda holds a contest between burning coal and water fountain. 31 August 2012.
  15. Web site: Sonakshi, Prabhu Deva injured during 'OMG' shoot - Entertainment - Celebrity Gossip - Emirates24|7. www.emirates247.com. 12 July 2012 .
  16. Web site: Oh My God Reviews. https://web.archive.org/web/20131102161650/http://www.indicine.com/bollywood/oh-my-god/reviews/. 2 November 2013. dead. Indicine. 1 October 2012.
  17. Web site: Adarsh. Taran. Taran Adarsh review. Bollywood Hungama. 27 September 2012. 27 September 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20131103104957/http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/moviemicro/criticreview/id/549384. 3 November 2013. dead.
  18. Web site: Verma. Sukanya. Review: OMG – Oh My God is brave and absorbing. Rediff.com. 28 September 2012. 28 September 2012. 30 September 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120930040448/http://www.rediff.com/movies/review/review-oh-my-god-is-a-brave-absorbing-take-on-religion/20120928.htm. live.
  19. News: Saif. Faisal. 29 September 2012. OMG: Oh My God. The Times of India. 1 November 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131101050223/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/movie-review/OMG-Oh-My-God/movie-review/16545873.cms. live.
  20. Web site: OMG! Oh My God Picks Up Over Weekend. https://web.archive.org/web/20121003231801/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=4939&nCat=. dead. 3 October 2012. 1 October 2012. Box Office India. 1 October 2012.
  21. Web site: OMG! Oh My God Week One Territorial Breakdown. https://web.archive.org/web/20121011063543/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=4960&nCat=. dead. 11 October 2012. Box Office India. 1 October 2011. 6 October 2012.
  22. Web site: Aiyaa Bhoot Returns Dull Oh! My God Excellent Second Week . 13 October 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121016023757/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=4973&nCat= . dead . 16 October 2012 . Box Office India .
  23. Web site: Student of the Year Opens Well Oh! My God Excellent Third Week. https://web.archive.org/web/20121022184638/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=4997&nCat=. dead. 22 October 2012. Box Office India. 20 October 2012. 20 October 2012.
  24. News: OMG! Oh My God Week Four Box Office Collection – Upcoming Movies Release Date. Yadav. Amit. 2012-10-25. UMD. 2017-05-28. en-US.
  25. Web site: English Vinglish Is Excellent Overseas. https://web.archive.org/web/20121012235325/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/overdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=4968&nCat=. dead. 12 October 2012. Box Office India. 10 October 2012. 10 October 2012.
  26. Web site: Aiyaa Bhoot Returns Dull English Vinglish Is HIT Overseas . https://archive.today/20121209032123/http://www.boxofficeindia.com/overdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=4989&nCat= . dead . 2012-12-09 . Box Office India .
  27. Web site: OMG, Paan Singh Tomar receive awards for spreading social messages | Indian Television Dot Com. Indiantelevision.com. 24 January 2013. 5 August 2014. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20131102222315/http://www.indiantelevision.com/aac/y2k13/aac44.php. 2 November 2013.