The Oppenheimer film received rave reviews since its release – but it has also been subject to a huge controversy in India.
Outrage is brewing as some viewers feel uncomfortable about a particular scene, leading to a boycott of the film.
The movie revolves around the life of American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) and his pivotal role in the development of the atomic bomb.
With a compelling storyline and an all-star cast, it was set for success from the start.
However, it seems there’s one scene that’s causing quite a stir, particularly in India.
The real-life Oppenheimer had a fascination with Hinduism, which played a prominent part in his life.
Allegedly, he even translated the Bhagavad Gita, a revered Hindu scripture, from Sanskrit into English.
The film portrays his love for the religion, but it’s during an explicit scene that things take a controversial turn.
In this particular moment, Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh) is shown making Oppenheimer read the Bhagavad Gita aloud while engaging in s**ual intercourse.
The depiction of this intimate moment has not resonated well with some Hindus in parts of India.
Uday Mahurkar, a journalist and founder of Save Culture Save India (SCSI), wrote an open letter to the film’s director, Christopher Nolan, expressing their concern.
He pens on X, formerly Twitter: “Namaste from Save Culture Save India Foundation. It has come to our notice that the movie Oppenheimer contains a scene which makes a scathing attack on Hinduism.”
According to the open letter, the scene is viewed as a ‘scathing attack on Hinduism’ and ‘amounts to waging a war on the Hindu community’.
Mahurkar urged Nolan to remove the scene to uphold the dignity of the revered scripture and avoid offending ‘one billion Hindus’.
“We believe that if you remove this scene and do the needful to win hearts of Hindus, it will go a long way to establish your credentials as a sensitised human being and gift you friendship of billions of nice people,” he added.
Twitter users echoed these sentiments, calling for a boycott of the film and expressing that it showed ‘no respect’ for the religious beliefs depicted.
Another person writes: “Can’t we boycott a movie which is insulting our religion? Why are we so comfortable with it? Why are we happy that our holy book is mentioned in this movie? This is really very disgusting! #BoycottOppenheimer.”
Murphy, who also stars in Peaky Blinders, has emphasized the importance and power of the s** scenes.
He described them as ‘deliberate’ and ‘perfectly’ executed, elevating the emotional impact of the movie, as per The Sydney Morning Herald.
Murphy also praised his co-star Pugh for her phenomenal performance and their chemistry on-screen.
Despite the controversy, Oppenheimer still saw huge box-office success.
It raked in an impressive $97 million, as per Forbes, becoming Nolan’s biggest non-Batman debut and one of the best starts for an R-rated biographical drama.
Going into the 2024 Oscars with a leading 13 nominations, Oppenheimer won seven Academy Awards overall, including statuettes for Best Picture, Best Director for Nolan, Best Actor for Cillian Murphy as the title character, and Best Supporting Actor for Robert Downey Jr. for his turn as Oppenheimer’s government antagonist Lewis Strauss.