When Christopher Nolan’s latest film Oppenheimer was released worldwide, it sparked a new Internet phenomenon called Barbenheimer after being screened with Greta Gerwig’s Barbie on the same date, and it also reignited debates on whether the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II were justifiable and necessary.
But just like how Barbie incited controversy among religious conservatives like pastor Kent Christmas and commentator Ben Shapiro for its seemingly pro-LGBTQIA+ and woke themes, Oppenheimer also found itself in hot water, this time in India, for a scene involving the Bhagavad Gita.
Hindus have been celebrating the mention of the Bhagwad Gita in the Oppenheimer movie, but they are left angry and perplexed at the blatant disrespect of the Gita by Hollywood.
Mentioning holy verses while having sex is considered disrespectful and racist. #BoycottOpenheimer pic.twitter.com/Gvgi5Brsx4— Harris Sultan (@TheHarrisSultan) July 21, 2023
The scene in the three-hour-long biographical drama film that irked Indian netizens involved Irish actor and Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy, who played the titular role of the American theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, known as the Father of the Atomic Bomb, and English actress Florence Pugh, who portrayed psychiatrist Jean Tatler.
In the scene, Tatler asked Oppenheimer if he could speak Sanskrit after seeing a copy of an unnamed Sanskrit book on his shelf, possibly the Bhagavad Gita, with Oppenheimer saying that he was still learning. She then asked him to translate the verse she pointed at, with Oppenheimer saying, "Now, I am become Death, destroyer of the world,” while the two shared an intimate moment.
If it's good, god is often mentioned during the act.
— Mansoor Afridi (@MansoorSAfridi) July 21, 2023
While the film received positive reviews upon its release in India and reportedly garnered around 300 million Indian rupees (approximately 5.5 million US dollars) in two days, Oppenheimer also received criticism from many Indian netizens and officials.
“Hindus have been celebrating the mention of the Bhagwad Gita in the Oppenheimer movie, but they are left angry and perplexed at the blatant disrespect of the Gita by Hollywood,” one Twitter user said. “Mentioning holy verses while having sex is considered disrespectful and racist.”
The information commissioner for the Indian government, Uday Mahurkar, wrote an open letter to Nolan and posted it online, describing the intimate scene with the Bhagavad Gita as a "disturbing attack on Hinduism" and urging him to remove the controversial scene.
. @OppenheimerATOM
To,
Mr Christopher Nolan
Director , Oppenheimer film
Date : July 22, 2023
Reg: Film Oppenheimer’s disturbing attack on Hinduism
Dear Mr Christopher Nolan,
Namaste from Save Culture Save India Foundation.
It has come to our notice that the movie…— Uday Mahurkar (@UdayMahurkar) July 22, 2023
Mahurkar, who is also the founder of the Save Culture Save India Foundation, also called on the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to “investigate” the movie, adding that “those involved” should be “severely punished.”
The chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Prasoon Joshi, and other censor board members did not comment on the issue at the moment. The CBFC gave Oppenheimer a U/A rating after Universal Pictures cut some scenes to reduce its length, making the film suitable for anyone above 13 in India.
The way Hindu nationalists elevated the mention of Bhagwat Gita, I thought the movie was all about how Bhagwat Gita changed the life of Oppenheimer.
— kumar (@kumarsami16) July 21, 2023
During the promotional campaign for Oppenheimer, Murphy revealed that he read the Bhagavad Gita to prepare for the film and thought "it was an absolutely beautiful text, very inspiring.”
