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Christopher Nolan’sOppenheimerhas already begun sparking controversy after premiering worldwide this weekend. The highly anticipated film has seemingly upset a certain community, and this comes after reports of an apparent ban on the film in Japan, which is because Oppenheimer’s work contributed to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, during World War II.
Though the apparent banning ofOppenheimerin Japan has been clarified to be a rumor, the Japanese distributor of the film, Toho-Towa, is yet to finalize its release plans for the film.
Read more:Oppenheimer: Every Actor From Cillian Murphy to Matt Damon Who Has Returned to Work With Christopher Nolan More Than Once
Oppenheimer’s opening weekend was followed by a controversy after another
Oppenheimer, directed byChristopher Nolan, has sparked quite a controversy in India over a s*x scene that includes a reference to theBhagavad Gita, a sacred Hindu text. The scene in question occurs between J. Robert Oppenheimer (played by Cillian Murphy) and Jean Tatlock (played byFlorence Pugh), two physicists involved in the Manhattan Project. In the scene, Tatlock stops in the middle of the act to get a copy of theBhagavadGita from the shelf and asks Oppenheimer to read from it.
Government officials in India have been some of the most vocal critics of the scene. Uday Mahurkar, an information commissioner for the Indian government, criticized the scene and urged Nolan to remove it from the film. Other government officials have echoed Mahurkar’s criticism. He further went on to say,
“You have great admiration in India for your art of filmmaking. 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 sensitized human being and gift you friendship of billions of nice people.”
“We urge, on behalf of billion Hindus and timeless tradition of lives being transformed by revered Geeta, to do all that is needed to uphold dignity of their revered book and remove this scene from your film across world.”
“Should you choose to ignore this appeal it would be deemed as a deliberate assault on Indian civilisation.”
.@OppenheimerATOMTo,Mr Christopher NolanDirector , Oppenheimer film
Date : July 14, 2025
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)June 29, 2025
The scene has been met with widespread criticism in India, with many people accusing Nolan of disrespecting theBhagavad Gita. Some have even called for a boycott of the film.
Read more:“You just have to let it play out”: Oppenheimer Star Cillian Murphy Confessed His True Feelings After His $30M Thriller Movie Director Was Accused of Sexual Abuse
Christopher Nolan’s thoughts on the scene
Nolan has previously spoken to the folks atPeople Magazineabout the filming of the s*x scenes in the movie, saying,
“Any time you’re challenging yourself to work in areas you haven’t worked in before, you should be appropriately nervous and appropriately careful and planned and prepared.”
“When you look at Oppenheimer’s life and you look at his story, that aspect of his life, the aspect of his sexuality, his way with women, the charm that he exuded, it’s an essential part of his story.”
“It felt very important to understand their relationship and to really see inside it and understand what made it tick without being coy or allusive about it, but to attempt to be intimate, to try and be in there with him and fully understand the relationship that was so important to him.”
Cillian Murphy, the actor playing the titular character, has said that while preparing for the role, he went through the holy scripture himself as well. He said,
“It was an absolutely beautiful text, very inspiring”.
On the opening weekend in India,Oppenheimergrossed an estimated total of $6.09 million againstGreta Gerwig’sBarbie’sestimated total of about $3.04 million in what turned out to be two of the biggest summer films globally.
The controversy over the s-x scene inOppenheimeris likely to continue in India. It is a complex issue that raises questions about the relationship between art and religion. It is also a reminder of the power of films to provoke strong reactions.
Oppenheimeris now playing in theaters worldwide.
Read more:“They never made it before”: Christopher Nolan Forced Studio to Literally Invent for Robert Downey Jr. Scenes in Oppenheimer
Source:Variety
Aaditya Pathak
Articles Published :69
Aaditya Pathak is a Entertainment News Writer at FandomWire. With over two years of experience in writing and editing content in the entertainment realm, Aaditya is well versed with the latest news and affairs. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Communication, providing him with a solid foundation for reporting on complex issues. He also happens to have an unparalleled affinity for all things best served classic—music, movies and literature.
