Pankaj Tripathi has expressed his dissatisfaction with the A certificate granted to his upcoming film OMG 2. During a promotional event for the movie, he stated that the intended audience for the film falls within the age group of 12 to 17 years. Directed by Amit Rai and featuring Yami Gautam and Akshay Kumar, OMG 2 is scheduled for a theatrical release on August 11. Pankaj, quoted in a DNA report, mentioned his surprise and disappointment at the A certification that the film received.
Pankaj conveyed his sentiments, saying, “When we received an A certificate, it caught us by surprise. This is because during the making of a film, we generally have an idea of whether it will be rated A or not, like in the case of ‘Gangs Of Wasseypur’. However, when we were working on OMG 2, we did not anticipate such a rating. Getting an A certificate for this film was unexpected and a bit disheartening as it restricts the target audience of 12 to 17-year-olds from watching it.”
He further added, “I believe there should be a category between U/A and A. Just as the Censor Board introduced the Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill, they should consider making some changes to the certification process as well. It’s regrettable that those for whom we made the film won’t be able to watch it.”
Yami Gautam also shared her thoughts on the box office clash between OMG 2 and Sunny Deol’s Gadar 2 at the promotional event. Expressing her admiration for Sunny Deol, Yami mentioned owning a picture of his iconic handpump scene from ‘Gadar Ek Prem Katha.’ She hoped that both movies would find their respective audiences, drawing parallels to recent successful simultaneous releases in Hollywood.
OMG 2 faced challenges from the Censor Board during its certification process. Despite weeks of speculation that the filmmakers sought a UA certificate, the film was ultimately granted an A certificate. This cautious approach by the CBFC was reportedly influenced by the post-release controversy surrounding ‘Adipurush.’
