Breaking into movie screens around the country as India prepares to celebrate its 77th Independence Day, Amit Rai’s latest directorial venture OMG 2 focuses its attention on an aspect of freedom that has been neglected in favour of perhaps more monumental agendas of political stability and economic development. Starting off rather innocuously with the story of a devout Hindu, Kanti Sharan Mudgal (Pankaj Tripathi), who runs a shop in a Shiva temple complex and is also part of the temple management team, the conservative social milieu in which it is set becomes a volatile platform on which the social drama is played out.
Tripathi plays Kanti with conviction and aplomb, brilliantly capturing the despair and dilemma of a modern, middle-class father, who is torn between a traditional way of life and the urge to bring up his children in tune with the current trend. He is visibly upset to know that his adolescent son Vivek has been charged with sexual ‘misconduct’ and is being thrown out from the posh, elite school that he studies in but, at the same time, realises that his son is not really to blame for what he has done. And so begins his mission to fight for justice for Vivek and the reputation of his family, which is immediately ostracised by friends and neighbours as the news of the boy’s so-called sinful act spreads like wildfire.
As in OMG, the much-appreciated 2012 film on religious dogma, the major action in OMG 2 also takes place in a courtroom. And here too, Akshay Kumar dons the mantle of a mysterious divine being, ostensibly Lord Shiva’s chosen messenger, sent to Earth to come to the aid of a distressed Kanti Mudgal and his family. Appearing in several polymorphous avatars throughout the film as a maverick wayfarer, a troubadour, a casual devotee, a drunkard or even a doctor who drives a swanky car, Akshay is in top form, clearly enjoying his stint as the earthly agent of the omnipotent and benevolent Lord Shiva. He saves Vivek’s life and earns Kanti’s trust. His cleverly-disguised clues become weapons in Kanti’s repertoire as he fights in a court of law against his son’s school and certain other individuals (including himself) whose prejudices, unscientific advice and misinformation made his son commit the act for which he was being victimised.
As a lawyer fighting a case in court, Kanti is up against the smart, suave and English-speaking defence lawyer Kamini (Yami Gautam). A shrewd professional, she is utterly dismissive of Kanti and considers the humble, Hindi-speaking complainant, easy fodder. However, though Kanti’s legal arguments initially appear to be naive, foolish, devoid of logic, and often elicit raucous laughter among a curious court audience, his questions related to the necessity of sex education as an intrinsic part of the curriculum in schools are undoubtedly valid. Kanti’s case, which also focuses on social taboo topics like sexual desire and sexual pleasure, makes you think about why it has become essential to discuss subjects of private life publicly.
That the courtroom drama draws attention to the need for raising children with care at home so that they become sexually responsible and mature adults, is significant. In another clap-worthy scene, a sex worker, standing at the witness box, clearly outlines the need to teach boys from their very childhood how to respect women’s bodies and minds. Other equally important ideas such as normalising the parts of the body and not deeming the idea of intercourse or other private acts as ‘vulgar’, are touched upon in passing. How the courtroom drama in a small town impacts the whole country and starts a conversation on the need to talk about sex will strike many as powerful and timely.
Ultimately, the film appeals to people to change their ‘soch’ (mindset) and adopt a liberal attitude. And that perhaps is a call that deserves to be heard in this season of puffed-up, patriotic sentiments.
Piya Roy
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