OMG (OH MY GOD!)--A gutsy and mind changing film!!

There are films which are meant for entertainment and entertainment only,there are others which shows the hard realities of life in a gritty manner.But there are also a third class which entertains us but could also influence our view points and ideologies in a big way.Oh my God is one such gem of a film which has the potential to change our views about God and religion as it bravely discuss various aspects of misuse and commercialisation of religion and makes us to think about the reality of these.I should admit I am also a person who is influenced by the ideas of this film.


Plot:
 God is a personal choice  and his origin and existence are open to interpretation.God has never created any religion and thus Religion is man-made.Its original purpose was to unite people in the name of God and to live a peaceful life and a spiritual conscience.But today its ideas are highly distorted and misinterpreted and we have a set up where religion is misused just to collect a whole lot of money in the name of God.Moreover in present times it has degraded just as a criteria for selecting brides and bride grooms for marriages ,for admissions in schools and colleges and to get  jobs.Its original objectives are intentionally untouched by the so called religious leaders.And the most pathetic part is that even the so called highly educated and high class citizens of our nations are the ones who are more inclined towards these religious fanatisms.And OH MY GOD takes a dig at all these issues but in a lighter manner.

OMG is an adaptation of the enormously admired play 'Krishan Vs Kanhaiya'.Kanji Mehta [Paresh Rawal] is an atheist, who runs an antique shop. For him, God and religion are nothing more than a business proposition. He purchases idols of God and sells them as antique idols at double or triple its original price. His wife, on the other hand, is a devout believer. When a slight tremor of an earthquake shakes the city, it causes the destruction of only one shop in the entire city -- Kanji's shop. The insurance company invokes this act of God and promptly rejects the claim. Frustrated, and left with no option, Kanji decides to file a case against God on the premise that if God is responsible for his loss, then it is God's responsibility to compensate him for his losses.




Treatment:
Introduction of God men of different virtues (Mithun Chakravorty, Govind Namdeo, Poonam Jhawer), and the lawyer (Mahesh Manjrekar) coming into picture, everything keeps you interested.The scenes at court room is a treat to watch and you will definitely have a smile on your face throughtout the proceedings.The screenplay is highly engaging and Kanji is allowed to reason all his views instead of just having  plain accusations.With the arrival of Akshay Kumar as God the film tries to prove that God is there within all of us and we need not go to temples,churches or masjids in search of him,and need not spend a lot of money in the name of God as it could be spend to help the needful ones.It also says that religion should not be an obstacle to love or marry a person, to study in a college or to have a job of your choice and no God has told in such a manner ever.Its all man's brain to serve their purposes.
There are some terrific dialogues which will force us to ponder on this issue.A few are:

'Jahan dharam hai wahan satya ki jagah nahi hai. Aur jahan satya hai wahan dharam ki zaroorat hi nahi.'

'Yeh log mujhe (Bhagavad) Gita sikhayenge? In logon ki IQ bhi room temperature se low hai.'

'Main sab Dharmon ka aadar karta hoon aur kissi dharm ko maanta nahi hoon.'

'Dharm logon ko yadi bebas banatha hai ya athangwadi.'


Performances:
Paresh Rawal carries the film on his shoulders and does it with impeccable comic timing and uncomparable screen presence.Its very rare that we see an actor of his caaliber do amain character in a film.Akshay Kumar
does the role of God with complete dignity and he allows aresh Rawal take hold of the film.Others are also performs well.

There are definitely some illogical and dramatic sequences but those could be overlooked considering the overall pace of the film and the fact that this film could be an eye opener to many of us.
It may not be the best film that you have seen this year, but I could definitely say that this could the most influencial film of the year and you will be forced to think even after the film ends.
This was definitely a risk taken especially in our country where people gets offended so easily as they won't work for their food but fight for their religion.

Hats off to all the persons involved in this film as instead of getting offended, we actually gets in another mode and starts thinking about our mentality towards religion.
Its a must watch movie as it change the way we look at religion.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!