OMG Oh My God the film is spicier than the play: Paresh Rawal

It's not easy tracking down Paresh Rawal for an interview. The man doesn't really believe in tom-toming about his work and would rather let his work do all the talking.

However, this Friday (September 28), it's raining Rawal at the B.O. as the veteran actor is seen in not one but two big releases- OMG! Oh My God and Kamaal Dhamaal Malamaal. Usually one to shy away from interviews, he is making an exception for his latest film OMG! Oh My God as it's a project very close to his heart. The film not only features him as the main protagonist but he has also co-produced the film with Akshay Kumar. Rawal has already done over 500 shows of the play 'Kanji Viruddh Kanji' (Gujarati) and over 150 shows of 'Kishen vs Kanhaiya' (Hindi) - on which OMG! Oh My God is based and is now confident that like the play, the film too will find an audience. Bollywood Hungama's Nikhil Ramsubramaniam managed to chat up with the supremely talented actor Paresh Rawal on OMG! Oh My God, Kamaal Dhamaal Malaamaal and much more. Read on…

You've been MIA (Missing in Action) for a long time and now have 2 films releasing on the same day OMG! Oh My God and Kamaal Dhamaal Malaamaal …how does it feel?
It's definitely an exciting feeling. I am more excited about OMG! Oh My God because the subject is very close to my heart and moreover it's my first home production.

Speaking of OMG! Oh My God, the film is based on your super-hit play 'Kanji Viruddh Kanji' and 'Kishen Vs Kanhaiya', how much have you changed from the play to film?
A lot of things have been changed from the play to the film keeping the different medium in mind. There have been some changes made in the screenplay. Of course the basic storyline remains the same but the people who have seen the play will find the film different in terms of new characters, new actors, new situations etc Since play is more a medium of words there are some restrictions but when it comes to a film, it's a visual medium, so with the help of camera, you can create a lot of situations. Overall I feel the film has turned out to be spicier than the play.

For the benefit of those who haven't seen the play can you give a brief character sketch of your character Kanjibhai
Kanjibhai is a non-believer in God. His thinking is radically different from the conventional patterns of society. There is a certain kind of pain in his heart because of which he thinks and acts the way he does. He has no basis to believe otherwise but all this is said and depicted in a very humorous and thrilling format.

After having performed the same character countless times on stage without re-takes, was it easier to play it on big screen?
Obviously its easier because you have the option of re-takes in film but what makes it interesting is that we have a different set of actors in the film so it was fun interacting with them. Acting is nothing but reacting, so if your co-stars react in a particular way, it does affect your acting as well. The basic core emotions remain the same but the way you express it is a bit different in a play and on the big screen.

You've worked with Akshay in 34 films but this is probably the first time that you are playing the lead role and Akshay the supporting part.
Actually I don't look at it that way. I don't believe in terminologies like lead role or supporting role or cameo role etc. Every actor who has been cast in the film has a clearly defined and well-etched role. Not just Akshay but even Mithun Chakraborty, Govind Namdeo etc. have superb roles in the film.

You have even co-produced the film with Akshay…how has been that experience?
It's been a very nice experience. Both Akshay and I are transparent people who believe in honest, clear dealings with people. We both didn't really have the time to look into the day to day affairs of production but there was a high level of mutual trust and understanding. I was fortunate to have my business partner of many years- Hemal Thakkar who helped a great deal in production under our banner Playtime Creation. We've produced many TV serials but this is the first film we've produced with Akshay's company Grazing Goat Productions.

Both the play and the film have been written by Bhavesh Mandalia and directed by Umesh Shukla. The play has some really clever and brilliant lines. Tell us more about these two guys Bhavesh and Umesh.
Bhavesh is a 28 year old boy and the way he has written the script is unbelievably powerful for someone of his age. As for Umesh Shukla, I've known him since 1985. He is a well-known name in theatre and has even directed one film for UTV before this called Dhoondte Reh Jaoge with Sonu Sood, Kunal Khemu, Soha Ali Khan and myself.

The film is releasing with the Ganesh Chaturthi festivities at its peak. Seems like a perfect timing for the release of such a film…
It's just a coincidence. I believe that there is no specific day or time or place to pray to God and that is what even the film tries to convey.

Religion is a touchy issue in India, yet the play has been running successfully for so many years without any problem. What do you attribute this to?
That's because the script has been written so cleverly that everything has been taken care of. A lot of religious heads of various religious institutions have seen the play and loved it. It's not hurting the sentiments of anyone or any religion, it just questions whether what we do in the name of God or religion is right or wrong?

As a person in real life, are you a god-loving person or a god-fearing person?
I just believe in goodness yaar. Karam Achche Karo aur Achcha Insaan Bano Bas.

Usually actors start off with theatre and then move on to doing films but you seem to be still very active on the theatre front? Does it give you a bigger high than films?
Yes it does because theatre is an actor's medium. It's very challenging too as there are no re-takes and you are acting in front of a live audience so that's definitely a bigger high.

Coming to your other film Kamaal Dhamaal Malaamaal, you've done some of your best work with Priyadarshan be it Hera Pheri, Hungama, Hulchul, Garam Masala, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Malamaal Weekly etc…what can we expect this time around?
The only reason I did this film was because I was getting to work with Priyadarshan again. We've had a long association and have done over 17 films together. I like working with him but as far as my role is concerned in this film I am not that excited about it. There should be something in the role which challenges me. Doing something which I can easily do doesn't excite me anymore.

How was it working with so many talented actors all of whom are good at comedy?
It was good fun working with Om Puriji, Nana, Shreyas, Neeraj Vora etc. We had quite a blast on the sets. I always enjoy shooting for all my films.

Finally what are your forthcoming projects?
I am currently shooting for Sajid Khan's Himmatwala. I am enjoying working on this film. It's completely slapstick and over-the-top. After all, it's a Sajid Khan film so you know what to expect. To call it hamming would be an understatement but I am enjoying my time on the sets. Sajid is a wonderful person and its also great re-uniting again with Ajay Devgn with whom I've done many films in the past as well.

OMG Oh My God! review

 Cast:Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal, Mithun Chakraborty
Director: Ashvini Yardi
Producer: Akshay Kumar, Ashvini Yardi, Paresh Rawal

When a film – or at least its voluble protagonist – questions the very existence of God, should its makers expect any divine help when it is stuck in a morass of mediocrity?

Mercifully, OMG Oh My God!, for all its flaws, has the services of the redoubtable Paresh Rawal to fall back on. The thespian pulls off a rescue act that borders on the miraculous.

As long as the accomplished Paresh Rawal, playing a wise-cracking agnostic who takes on a grotesque band of religious bigots in a bizarre legal battle to prove that God is a figment of mankind’s imagination, is on the screen, OMG passes muster, and then some more.

But even he cannot fully salvage the film’s weaker moments – and there are many. OMG is frequently weighed down by verbose and preachy passages that, besides overstaying their welcome, are marred by unabashed overacting by some members of the supporting cast.

Govind Namdeo as a saffron-clad godman is the worst offender in this respect, with Poonam Jhawar in the guise of a buxom, gaudily attired priestess coming in a close second but certainly not for want of trying.

Co-screenwriter Umesh Shukla’s sophomore effort as a director fritters away the obvious potential ingrained in the text of the storyline. It confuses light-heartedness with laxity. As a result, the film often goes off the rails and squeaks along without much energy.

But to be fair, OMG, produced by a newfangled banner jointly owned by Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal, makes its point about the misuse of religion in a land of many gods and goddesses, with a certain degree of coherence and force.

Kanji Lalji Mehta (Rawal), a confirmed atheist, owns an antique shop in Mumbai’s Chor Bazaar. He exploits the susceptibilities of the devout and makes a living by selling idols of sundry deities to them.

His life is thrown out of gear when a mild earthquake strikes. His is the only shop in the area that is reduced to rubble.

The insurance company refuses his claim for compensation calling the mishap "an act of God". Angry and distraught, Kanji takes both God and his insurance firm to court, where he is confronted by a motley bunch of holy men, including a long-haired, effeminate Swami Leeladhar, played delightfully well by Mithun Chakraborty.

As Kanjibhai directs all his ire at God and His "collection agents" – in the courtroom, he describes cash-rich temples as business establishments and their portly priests as salesmen – Lord Krishna decides to step in and do something about the mess that has enveloped his life.

Akshay Kumar assumes a cool-dude modern avatar of Krishna Vasudev Yadav. The humanized but all-powerful mobike-borne deity springs to the non-believer’s aid with his divine "stunts" whenever the latter is in trouble.

Along the way, the Lord poses many questions and offers several solutions to Kanjibhai, whose crusade soon assumes the form of a mass movement against obscurantism. These exchanges between man and God are meant to be funny but the comic touches do not always achieve the desired level of mirth.

The long-winded disclaimer at the film’s outset – OMG disavows any intention of hurting the sentiments of "any individual, community, sect or religion" – softens the blow of its rational statement. The audience is left with the feeling that it is, at best, being proffered only a halfhearted spoof on faith and its self-styled guardians, not a full-blooded satire on the flip side of organized religion.

The film’s premise is courageous no doubt, but its heart and sinews are rather weak. It seems to chicken out a tad too easily in the end.

So, despite the high fun quotient inherent in the concept and the steady flow of droll one-liners from the principal players, OMG never rises to particularly great heights either as an entertainer or a social message-oriented drama.

If only the film had the nerve to go the whole hog with its healthy spirit of scepticism and fired on all cylinders, its unusual central premise would have made infinitely more sense and found its intended mark.

But what the hell, OMG, even at its worst, does not ever deteriorate into WTF, thanks to the wondrous presence of Paresh Rawal. It's certainly not a waste of time.

Actors who personified Mahatma Gandhi with elan on big screen

Chennai: Those belonging to the Millennial Generation have learned about the Father of the Nation whose 143rd birth anniversary India celebrates Tuesday either through books or films.
Many feel that the visual medium has a greater impact and on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, IANS lists some of the actors who played 'Bapu' with perfection on screen and left an impact on the viewers.
Sir Ben Kingsley: One of the best Gandhi portrayals ever was by Ben Kingsley in Richard Attenborough's 1982 biopic 'Gandhi'. The reviewers lauded the English actor saying he portrayed the intensity, the wit and even the distinctive determined walk of Bapu. The film won eight Oscars, including best actor golden statuette for Kingsley.

 One of the best Gandhi portrayals ever was by Ben Kingsley in Richard Attenborough's 1982 biopic 'Gandhi'.

Rajit Kapur: Popularly known as Byomkesh Bakshi, Rajit delivered an award-winning portrayal of Gandhi in the 1996 film 'The Making of the Mahatma'. Directed by veteran Shyam Benegal, it recounts 21 years that Gandhiji spent in South Africa and the actor, known for his versatility, pulled it off with aplomb.
Dilip Prabhavalkar: In recent times, Dilip Prabhavalkar, Marathi stage and movie artist, became particularly famous for his portrayal of Gandhi in Vidhu Vinod Chopra's commercial blockbuster 'Lagey Raho Munnabhai'. In the film, Sanjay Dutt practices 'Gandhigiri' and he also begins to see the Mahatma, played by Dilip who won a National Award for the best supporting role for his performance in the comedy. Dilip also reprised the same role in the Telugu version titled 'Shankar Dada Zindabad'.
Darshan Jariwala: Playing Bapu turned out to be lucky for Darshan Jariwala too. In 'Gandhi, My Father', director Feroz Abbas Khan showcased Mahatma's complex relationship with his son Harilal Gandhi. The film didn't do commercially well, but garnered several awards at different award functions and even won Darshan a National Award for the same.