OMG 2 fame, Aarush Varma, files a petition to have “A” certificate removed.
By: Priyal Joshi
In the recently released movie OMG 2, Aarush Varma, who plays Vivek, the son of Kanti Sharan Mudgal (Pankaj Tripathi), has started a petition on Change.org to remove the “A” certification that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has imposed. ‘UA’ certification, according to CBFC, indicates that minors younger than 12 can watch a movie with parental supervision. A film with a “A” certificate can be seen in public by adults (age 18+). Aarush urged everyone to sign the petition even though he has been forbidden from seeing his own movie.
He stated, “The entire purpose of making this film as much as I know from my director Amit Rai Sir was to open discussions on the need for Sex Education but unfortunately the film itself has become a subject of discussion with being given an A certificate. We were so many kids in the film and we never felt uncomfortable shooting the film. It is a film meant for children my age and also parents who are uncomfortable talking about Sex education. This film could have been an eye-opener. Being a 16-year-old I know the issues we face and there are so many things for which we do not find the right answer. I urge all of you to help me sign this petition so that the government reviews the stand of the A certificate and makes it U/A so that all my friends can see it.”
Pankaj Tripathi also reacted to his on-screen son Aarush not being able to watch the film. “Jab film OTT pe ya kisi aur platform par aayegi fir wahaan se dekhenge (film) kam age ke bacche log. Wahaan toh niyantran nahi hain uss tareeke se. Film mein aisa kuch tha bhi nahin. Film mein na hi koi nudity hai na hi koi violence hain na koi samvad mein vaise hain. Film bold subject pe baat karti hain. Hume nirasha lagi thi certification ko dekh ke. But theek hain vo baccha nahi dekh paya, toh kya kar sakte hain?
The story revolves around Kanti Sharan Mudgal (Tripathi), a devotee of Lord Shiva (Akshay Kumar), who fights for his son’s (Aarush Varma) rights when a video of him masturbating in class is posted online, causing him to be humiliated and suspended. In the video, Akshay’s persona is seen assisting Pankaj in taking a stance against the school administration and its powerful legal team. The significance of sex education in Indian schools is emphasized in great detail in the movie.