A scene featuring a sacred Hindu scripture in nuclear biopic “Oppenheimer” has sparked a social media firestorm in India, with many users saying they would boycott the film for what one nationalist group called a “caustic attack on Hinduism.”
In the scene, the protagonist recites a verse from the Bhagwad Gita, considered the holiest of Hindu scriptures, just before intercourse.
The film, which was released to much fanfare in India on Friday, has been rated U/A by the Central Board of Film Certification, which recommends parental supervision for viewers below the age of 12.
“It should be investigated… on an urgent basis and those involved should be severely punished,” the nationalist “Save Culture Save India Foundation” said in a press release. Comments by the organization’s founder, government official Uday Mahurkar, condemning the film were also retweeted more than 3,600 times.
Universal Pictures India, the local unit of the film’s producers, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Officials from the Board of Film Certification did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Directed by Christopher Nolan, the film stars Cillian Murphy as American physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who oversaw the creation of the atomic bomb during World War II.
It has grossed around 600 million rupees ($7.33 million) as of Friday, Warner Bros Discovery, which released the film in India, said on Monday. Indian cinemas, which like their global counterparts are struggling to lure viewers away from online streaming services, are relying on “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie” to boost earnings, especially after a string of Bollywood flops turned audiences away.
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