When Aamir Khan starrer PK hit theatres in 2014, it became an instant blockbuster. However, to most people the film’s theme felt similar to OMG: Oh My God! the 2012 film directed by Umesh Shukla. Both movies explored the intersection of religion, faith, and organised worship, and this led to comparison and even rumours of creative differences.
In a recent interview with Friday Talkies, OMG director Umesh Shukla finally addressed the debate, clarifying that while similarities exist, but they were a result of shared thought processes and not plagiarism.
“I think they might’ve had a similar idea in mind. If PK had released before my film, people might have said that mine resembled PK.” he said. Umesh pointed out that OMG was based on a play he had written and staged long before the film’s release and notably, the PK team had seen it.
“Rajkumar Hirani, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, and writer Abhijat Joshi had all seen my play. So, when someone works on a similar subject, there’s bound to be some reflection.” he revealed, adding that in cinema, it’s common for narratives with similar themes to echo each other. “If you’re making a love story, and someone says ‘I love you’ in that film, well, of course they will, it’s a love story.”
Addressing the rumour that PK producers bribed him to shelve OMG, Shukla firmly denied it. “At that time, there were even rumours that Vidhu Vinod Chopra gave me Rs 8 crore to not make the film. But that was just gossip, Nothing of the sort ever happened. All of them, be it Rajkumar Hirani, Abhijat Joshi, Chopra, or even Aamir Khan, are too talented and dignified to do something so petty, like offering money.” he said.
Earlier Rajkumar Hirani and Abhijat Joshi denied copying the movie OMG. They said they started working on the first version of their script back in 2000, but had to change a lot of it because it was too similar to the Hollywood film Inception. However, by the time they were editing the final version of their movie, the Akshay Kumar film OMG had already been released.
PK was released in 2014, directed by Rajkumar Hirani and starring Aamir Khan, is a mix of comedy, science fiction, and social commentary. It shows how an alien views religion, belief, and blind faith on Earth. On the other hand, OMG Oh My God! was released in 2012 and starring Paresh Rawal and Akshay Kumar, is also a bold film that questions religious practices, superstitions, and blind faith.
