Indian officials demand ‘Oppenheimer’ scene to be investigated

A scene that includes a holy Hindu scripture in nuclear arms biopic Oppenheimer has drawn social media hearth in India, with many customers saying they might boycott the film due to what one nationalist group referred to as a “scathing assault on Hinduism”.

The scene options the protagonist reciting a verse from the Bhagwad Gita, thought of the holiest of Hindu scripture, simply earlier than sexual activity.

The movie, which was launched in India on Friday with a lot fanfare, was rated by the Central Board of Movie Certification U/A, which recommends parental steerage for viewers aged below 12.

“This needs to be investigated… on an pressing foundation and people concerned needs to be severely punished,” the nationalist “Save Tradition Save India Basis” mentioned in a press launch. Feedback by the organisation’s founder, authorities official Uday Mahurkar, condemning the film have been additionally retweeted greater than 3,600 occasions.

Common Photos India, the native unit of the movie’s producers, didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark. Officers from the movie certification board didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

The film, directed by Christopher Nolan, stars Cillian Murphy as US physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who oversaw the creation of the atomic bomb throughout World Warfare Two.

It grossed round INR600 million ($7.33 million) since Friday, Warner Bros Discovery, which launched the movie in India, mentioned on Monday.

Indian cinemas, which like their international friends are struggling to draw viewers away from on-line streaming providers, are banking on Oppenheimer and Barbie to spice up earnings particularly after a string of Bollywood flops stored audiences away.