Pavan Malhotra on film getting A-certificate: OMG 2 had to pay the price because of Adipurush

The discussion around OMG 2 getting an A certificate despite the fact that the film was meant for children, does not seem to be cooling down. After Govind Namdev, Pankaj Tripathi and Akshay Kumar, and now actor Pavan Raj Malhotra, who plays Judge Purshottam Nagar in the film, has come forward to express his disappointment over the CBFC not giving it a U/A certificate.

Recalling a conversation with one of the producers at the time of shoot, Malhotra says, “During the shoot, I was once talking to Ashwin Varde and I asked him what if they (CBFC) gave A certificate to the film and He said the whole effort...the whole exercise will be futile then. And unfortunately, that’s what has happened.

The actor says his film, which tackles important issues without resorting to explicit or offensive content, suffered and the reason was Adipurush. “I have not watched the film Adipurush, but from what I have heard and understood, it’s because of what happened with the film, that OMG 2 did not get the U/A certificate. Mera andaaza hai ye. There was a lot of criticism around that film and people were hurt. So somewhere, OMG had to pay the price because of Adipurush. Otherwise if you have seen OMG 2, there is nothing wrong about it. The maximum the film board could have is given it a 12+ or 14+ certificate, like it was done in several other countries,” says Malhotra.

Amid the discussion, many people also expressed disappointment with the makers for not fighting enough for the U/A certificate. But Malhotra says, releasing a film is not as easy as it may seem. “It’s a very tricky business and there is lot of hassle in it. Dates are decided much in advance. May be the makers did not have the time for all those fights for U/A certificate,” he says.

However, he is happy that the film can now be watched on OTT by everyone. “I am extremely happy to know that the film has been announced for OTT. The script was very popularly researched and kahi vulgarity nahi hai. It’s a very well made film and all youngsters should watch it,” he says and goes on to share how the film is being appreciated and he is flooded with messages about the same. “So many people messaged me saying that they will watch it again. For me the victory of the film tell me how it’s a movie that India cinema needed. One of them even shares that they went to watch the movie with their daughter and there was no feeling of discomfort or uneasiness,” he ends