Amit Rai‘s journey has been one of resilience. After releasing his first film ‘Road To Sangam’ in 2010, he had to wait thirteen years to see another film getting a theatrical release. ‘OMG 2’, released in 2023, became a major commercial success and paved the way for the filmmaker to tell many more stories that come from his heart. One such story has come alive in the form of ‘Ohh My Dog’. After having some preview shows on August 6, the film gets a full-fledged release in the theatres today.
In this interview, the writer-director talks about ‘Ohh My Dog’, the importance of co-existence, the resistance he faced while making and releasing ‘OMG 2’, collaborating with Akshay Kumar, claims made by Paresh Rawal, journey as a filmmaker and more.
After delivering a massive commercial success like ‘OMG 2’, most people, especially in the film industry, would have expected to make a bigger film. However, you chose to make a smaller film like ‘Ohh My Dog’.
As a filmmaker, I am not driven by numbers or money. I have never played the game of manipulation. ‘OMG 2’ made Rs. 222 crores worldwide and everybody, like you said, expected me to make a bigger film. However, I do not operate like that. I have always strived to tell stories that come from my heart. The story should determine the budget of a film. Things should not be the other way around. The next film I make could have a bigger or smaller budget depending on what the story needs.
Pankaj Tripathi, with whom you had collaborated earlier on ‘OMG 2’, did this film for free.
I will always be indebted to Pankaj. Apart from being an incredible actor, he is a wonderful human being and a great friend. He has a brief role in the film but is very important. Even Pawan, Geeta and Rajesh stepped into the film without being concerned about the duration of their role. I am grateful to each one of them for being a part of this film.
A while back, the Supreme Court of India delivered a ruling which stated that stray dogs in sensitive spaces cannot be categorized as community dogs and should be kept in shelters. Your film asks us to look at dogs and animals with empathy.
Yes! The issue is not about human or dogs. It is about empathy. We share the world with them. Honestly, I found the Supreme Court ruling strange. Tomorrow, somebody might say birds should be killed as they are sitting on terraces. Capitalism has led to our downfall. Human beings started feeling that the world is only theirs. The world belongs to everybody. The truth is that we are all tenants. ‘Ohh My Dog’ talks about the importance of empathy. In the film, you see what a dog does for humans and what a human being, a child in this case, does for a dog.
You wanted to make a biopic on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. However, last year, you confirmed that the film was no longer happening. You stated that the system is “cruel” and does not let certain films to be made.
Things have always been like that. As a filmmaker, you have to constantly struggle. I try look at things positively. If everything becomes too easy, there will be no fun in trying to do something. Nobody is born with greed. These are traits we acquire with time. In a way, all of us are a part of the system. A hugely talented director like Rahi Anil Barve has gone through hell while trying to make his films. I often get teary eyed while reading his posts. The industry often celebrates talent once it is gone. Look at what happened with a genius like Guru Dutt. I just wish the industry becomes a little fairer and gives opportunities to people at the right time. If that happens, we will see many more good films being made.
Recently, Paresh Rawal made certain claims stating that ‘OMG 2’ was his idea. You countered those claims.
Paresh Rawal ji is a great actor. I would want to look at this as a performance. He might not respect me but I still have a lot of respect for him in my heart. Eklavya can give his thumb to Dronacharya but cannot question him why he made him do this. If Paresh ji had the idea of ‘OMG 2’, why didn’t he make the film for so many years? He knows the truth. I know the truth. That’s why he will never speak to me. He will only speak to the media. He is a senior and I respect him. That is why I do not want to say anything that could embarrass him.
You grew up in Ulhasnagar, a small city in Maharashtra. Your father worked as a worker in a mill. How did you get attracted to cinema?
Our family is from Digwara, a small town in Bihar. My father came from there in search of work. I was born in Ulhasnagar and grew up there. When I was in the 9th or 10th grade, something happened which drew me towards cinema. My father had loaned some money to a man in our neighborhood. One day, he disappeared. My father thought he would not get his money back. The man had gone to Dubai. After a few months, he came back and told my father that the money he had loaned him proved to be lucky for him. He gifted my father with a cigarette carton, a lungi and a VCR. He had bought all these things for Dubai. We did not have a TV at home. My father managed to buy a TV on EMI. My brother and I would take the TV, VCR and amplifier to different people’s homes and show them films. We would charge Rs. 30 for one film and Rs. 100 for four films. I also started watching films because of the VCR. While I enjoyed the films, I also started wondering who makes these films. I wanted to know about the process involved in making films. I used to buy film magazines in Screen and enjoy reading them. Soon enough, I was sure about the fact that this was a world I wanted to be a part of. Initially, you get attracted to glamour and then, after a while, you start gathering an understanding of the craft. The one filmmaker who inspired me tremendously was Bimal Roy. I named my son Bimal. Back then, we only used to get cassettes of hit films. I have fond memories of watching films like Rambo, Police Story and Baby Day Out. I was mesmerized when I saw Ram Gopal Verma’s ‘Shiva’. I stated doing theatre. That gave me a lot of exposure. I have always wanted to make films that would have stories that I believe in. The journey was tough. For ‘OMG 2’, I went to multiple producers and faced rejection continuously. Then, I had the chance to meet Akshay Kumar. He heard the story for ten minutes and said a yes to the film. He believed in the film as much as I did. I also had some wonderful producers like Ashwin Varde and Vipul D Shah. Viacom was connected with the first film, so they also came on board.
Did you ever undergo any formal training as a filmmaker?
Watching different kinds of films was a form of training for me. I did theatre for several years. For many years, I won awards for Best Director and Best Set Designer. I graduated as a chemistry student but did my post-graduation in drama from the Centre of Performing Arts. I owe a lot to Marathi theatre. My growth as a storyteller happened because of the kind of opportunities I got there.
Did you face any difficulty while making your first film, ‘Road To Sangam’?
I faced far more difficulties while trying to make my second and third film. When you are making your first film, there is not much at stake. When I was trying out, many people advised me to make a safer film. Somebody said I should make a romantic film with songs. Somebody else advised me to make an action film. I ended up making a film which did not follow the structure of a regular commercial film. There was no concept of hero-heroine in the film. I was happy that I was getting to make a film that I really wanted to make. The film received a lot of appreciation at the festivals and won several awards.
Between ‘Road To Sangam’ and ‘OMG 2’, there was a gap of thirteen years. Did you go through any hardships during this period?
I strongly believe that you should not cry about going through struggle in life. I wanted to make films. So, I had to endure certain things while walking on this path. Actually, my family went through a lot of suffering. We had to change houses, schools and make several other compromises. They suffered because of me. I was simply chasing my dreams. I think everything boils down to how much you believe in yourself. If you know you are doing the right thing, you should keep moving ahead.
After ‘Road To Sangam’, you made a film called I-Pad. It was about a mechanic based in Bhopal who makes a machine for manufacturing sanitary pads. That has not released yet.
In this industry, people listen to you or want to associate themselves with you only after you have seen some success. During those years, nobody knew me and I did not have any major success behind me. After ‘OMG 2’, things changed. Now, I find it easier to reach out to people and speak to them. ‘I-Pad’ was also the kind of film nobody wanted to back. Many people around me had advised me against making the film. We are trying to ensure that it releases soon.
You have written a film called ‘Dear Jassi’ that has made rounds of film festivals.
Yes, the film is directed by Tarsem Singh. It is based on a real-life incident. Years ago, a mother had given supari to a man to kill her daughter who was in love with a man from a lower caste. It has received appreciation at festivals. Hopefully, it will release soon.
‘OMG 2’ went through a lot of issues with the Censor Board before it was cleared.
Yes, we had to make certain changes. What I was truly upset about was the film getting an Adult certificate. We made the film for children and they could not watch it in the theatres. I think it was extremely unfair!
‘OMG – Oh My God!’ (2012) had Akshay Kumar playing Lord Krishna. In ‘OMG 2’, he was supposed to be Lord Shiva. However, the Censor Board insisted on changing the character. Finally, you were coerced into showing as a messenger of God.
Yes! They asked for many unreasonable cuts. I was not happy with the cuts. However, if we had not made the changes, the film would have got stuck. The most beautiful aspect of Sanatani culture is that we do not have a messenger of God. That concept does not exist in Sanatan. Ishwar and bhakt share a bond of friendship. Whenever the bhakt needs him, he descends on his own and helps him out. The audience, of course, was smart enough to see through this.
When one looks at your filmography, one realizes you gravitate towards social issues.
I come from a strata of society where I have seen a lot of things happening around me. We tell stories from our experiences. I am a believer in God. I always feel somebody is there to protect me. That reflected in ‘OMG 2’. I come from a small town and wanted to do the kind of work that would create an impact. In ‘I-Pad’, you will see a glimpse of that. While growing up in a locality in Ulhasnagar, I saw a lot of Hindu-Muslim unity. I portrayed that in ‘Road To Sangam’. Unless you are convinced about your script, you will not be able to execute it well.
Have you ever exercised self-censorship while writing a script?
Never! A writer cannot indulge in such things. If you put restrictions on your imagination, you will not be able to write an honest script.