OMG – Oh My God! is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language satirical comedy-drama film directed by Umesh Shukla. The film is an adaptation of the Gujarati stage play Kanji Virudh Kanji, which itself drew inspiration from the Australian film The Man Who Sued God (2001). It stars Paresh Rawal in the lead role, with Akshay Kumar in a pivotal supporting role. The film examines themes of religious commercialisation, blind faith, and the legal accountability of religious institutions in India.
| Title | OMG – Oh My God! |
|---|---|
| Director | Umesh Shukla |
| Producers | Akshay Kumar, Ashvini Yardi, Paresh Rawal, Kumar Mangat Pathak |
| Writers | Bhavesh Mandalia, Umesh Shukla (screenplay) |
| Based on | Kanji Virudh Kanji (Gujarati play) |
| Lead cast | Paresh Rawal, Akshay Kumar, Mithun Chakraborty, Mahesh Manjrekar |
| Music | Himesh Reshammiya, Meet Bros Anjjan, Sachin–Jigar |
| Language | Hindi |
| Release date | 28 September 2012 |
| Production companies | Viacom18 Motion Pictures, Grazing Goat Pictures, Playtime Creations |
| Genre | Satire, comedy-drama |
The story follows Kanji Lalji Mehta, an atheist shopkeeper in Mumbai who sells idols and religious artefacts. When his shop is destroyed in an earthquake, his insurance claim is rejected on the grounds that the event was an "act of God". Kanji decides to file a legal case against God, summoning trustees and priests of various religious establishments to court as God's earthly representatives. The case turns into a public examination of religious practices, superstition, and faith. A mysterious figure named Krishna Vasudev Yadav, played by Akshay Kumar, befriends Kanji and gradually guides his journey.
The original Gujarati play Kanji Virudh Kanji was written by Bhavesh Mandalia and Umesh Shukla, and it was later adapted into the Hindi play Kishan vs Kanhaiya. After the play's success on stage, Shukla decided to adapt it for the screen. Akshay Kumar's production house Grazing Goat Pictures came on board as a co-producer, with Kumar agreeing to play the extended cameo of Krishna. The film was largely shot in Mumbai.
The soundtrack was composed by Himesh Reshammiya, Meet Bros Anjjan, and Sachin–Jigar, with lyrics by Kumaar, Shabbir Ahmed, and Mayur Puri. The track Go Go Govinda, featuring Sonakshi Sinha and Prabhu Deva, became one of the popular numbers from the album.
OMG – Oh My God! was released on 28 September 2012. It received largely positive reviews from critics, who praised Paresh Rawal's performance, the writing, and its bold treatment of subjects such as godmen and religious commerce. It performed strongly at the box office despite its niche subject and limited promotional scale compared to typical mainstream Hindi releases.
The film is regarded as one of the more notable mainstream Hindi works to engage with the critique of organised religion, ritualism, and self-styled godmen. By framing its argument within a courtroom narrative, it situates faith and superstition within questions of consumer rights, contract law, and state regulation of religious trusts. It contributed to a wider conversation in Indian popular cinema on rationalism and religious reform, comparable in spirit to works such as PK (2014).
A spiritual successor titled OMG 2 was released on 11 August 2023, directed by Amit Rai and starring Pankaj Tripathi and Akshay Kumar. While not a direct continuation of the 2012 story, it follows a similar template of using a court case to discuss a socially sensitive subject—in this case, sex education in schools.