Filmmaker Amit Rai interview: On ‘Ohh My Dog’ and why those who don’t have pets must watch it
Amit Rai, director of ‘Ohh My Dog’, seeks compassion for strays and questions the sharp decline in the number of children’s films made in the country
You don’t have any Active Subscription.
Your active subscription(s)
Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription
Products you've access to
Additional Subscription Benefits
Need help with your subscription?
Amit Rai, director of ‘Ohh My Dog’, seeks compassion for strays and questions the sharp decline in the number of children’s films made in the country
Published - July 31, 2026 04:44 pm IST
Amit Rai on the sets of ‘Ohh My Dog’; poster of the film | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
No human was hurt in the making of this film, says Amit Rai as he explains the unique selling point of his recent film Ohh My Dog with tongue firmly in cheek. The title is a play on the writer-director’s last title, Oh My God 2, his first commercial and critical success after years of struggle following the National Award-winning Road To Sangam. The inspiration, Amit says, was the dog at home whom he calls Oscar. “You live under the impression that you have rescued a dog, brought him home, and you are feeding him. Within a month, my ego gave way, and I realised that it was not me; it was the dog that was cradling me. If someone asks me if I have to save one person in life, I will save Oscar without blinking an eye.”
A dog, he says, absorbs your loneliness and gives you unconditional love, but it cannot be explained to someone who does not have a pet. “It is like we say that a child gives birth to a mother. You will understand what a dog does to you only when you bring one into your life. That’s why I suggest that those who have a pet watch the film, but those who haven’t must definitely watch it.”
Coming at a time when the fate of stray dogs is being debated in courtrooms and resident welfare associations, the film, Amit says, draws from the famous Mahabharata story in which Yudhishthir insists that he would enter the gate of heaven only with his dog. “Dharamraj says the dog has followed his duty; he will fulfil his. The dog stayed with him when his near and dear ones left him one by one. Yudhishthir’s righteousness helps the canine cross over.”
A still from the sets of ‘Ohh My Dog’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Amit says the system works according to its own wisdom, “but we can’t let our compassion die.” He asks: if the human population rises beyond control tomorrow, will we take the same measures? “Are we going to cull humans? If you are not being compassionate towards dogs today, I guarantee you will not show mercy towards humans in the future. We have to find a solution. We can’t be ruthless.” This problem, he adds, hasn’t come overnight. “During dark nights when community dogs kept thieves out, we didn’t complain. I don’t know when the dog became a symbol of abuse in our vocabulary. But we do know that life is about coexistence. An ant has as much right on this land as I have. There is no permanent resident here. The one who has made this has finely woven it as a garland. If we pull out one pearl, the entire system will collapse. Once upon a time, the same argument was given when we killed tigers.”
On the role of dog feeders, Amit says no one knows the pains a filmmaker endures to complete a film; similarly, not many know the effort one puts into caring for stray dogs. “We can see their intent; the process can be debated upon. Nobody appoints those who are speaking in favour of dogs. They are speaking out of their own volition.”
A still from ‘Ohh My Dog’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Amit says the subject had been with him for a long time, and that it was fast-tracked when yet another of his projects fell through just days before going into production because of creative differences with the lead actor, Rani Mukerji. “I came to Mumbai in bathroom slippers. After struggling for many years, if the ecosystem is not letting us flow with the tide, let it be. We will flow against it,” says the filmmaker whose film I-pad never saw the light of the day when Akshay Kumar decided to play Padman.
“People say I have scaled down, but for me, Ohh My Dog is a big film, and I haven’t cut corners even if it meant co-producing it.” Shot in Assam and Bihar, the film has a crucial scene where over 200 dogs are shown chasing ambulances. “These are untrained dogs. With the help of an NGO that uses an ambulance to feed stray dogs, we followed a process for several days to create the cinematic impact.” For the trailer, he has used the popular Amitabh Bachchan number, ‘Mere Paas Aao Mere Dosto Ek Kissa Suno’ from Mr Natwarlal to evoke curiosity about the story. “I didn’t have the budget to cast Amitabh Bachchan, so the next best thing is to use his voice. Sa Re Ga Ma liked the intent and waived off the exorbitant charges for using the song.”