Why This ‘Oppenheimer’ Scene Is Stirring Up Controversy in India

Oppenheimer has sparked outrage from India and the Hindu community due to a controversial sex scene. The scene has been slammed for featuring the Bhagavad Gita, a book of Hindu scripture considered holy to the religion. Before Christopher Nolan’s film premiered, it was expected that the Bhagavad Gita might be referenced. In real life, J. Robert Oppenheimer took an interest in Sanskrit and was known to have read and studied Kalidasa’s Meghaduta and the Bhagavad Gita. While he was interested in Hinduism from a philosophical standpoint, he was never a traditional practitioner of the religion.

However, the book clearly influenced Oppenheimer, who later claimed that the first thought he had upon watching the atomic bomb detonate was a line from the Bhagavad Gita that reads, “Now I am become Death, destroyer of worlds.” Sometimes, the quote is erroneously attributed to Oppenheimer, so the film actually could’ve done better in giving the Bhagavad Gita its due credit for the infamous quote and delving into what the scriptures meant to Oppenheimer, and how they may have even been used to help him make sense of the moral conflict he faced in constructing the atomic bomb.

Instead, Oppenheimer used the Bhagavad Gita in a very unexpected scene that was not based on any known historical facts.

Oppenheimer‘s controversial sex scene

The scene in Oppenheimer that has sparked backlash is an intimate scene between Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) and Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh). In the film, Oppenheimer and Tatlock have a very intense relationship. At one point, when they are engaging in sex, Tatlock is holding the Bhagavad Gita in one hand and makes Oppenheimer recite lines from the scripture. He recites the famous line, “I am become Death, destroyer of worlds,” during the intimate act. The scene quickly sparked backlash from India, where Hinduism is the dominant religion.

Many users took to social media to express their shock and anger at the scene. These users expressed the belief that it was blasphemous and disrespectful for Nolan to feature Hindu scripture in a sex scene. They have also begun imploring others to boycott the film or for the sex scene to be removed from Oppenheimer. Uday Mahurkar, the Information Commissioner of India, penned a passionate letter to Christopher Nolan on Twitter on behalf of the Save Culture Save India Foundation. In the letter, he explains that the Bhagavad Gita is “one of the most revered scriptures of Hinduism” and that using it in such a disrespectful manner is “a direct assault on religious beliefs of a billion tolerant Hindus.” He even equates the scene with “waging a war on the Hindu community.”

Countless other users have echoed Mahurkar’s sentiments, especially emphasizing that the scene was not necessary, as it was not a reflection of history. Given that it seemingly served no purpose, as the scenes easily could’ve played out sans the Bhagavad Gita, many are concerned about what Nolan meant to convey with such a scene. While the director has commented on the importance of capturing Oppenheimer’s love life, he has not publicly addressed the holy scriptures’ presence in the scene.

Nolan wasn’t alone in receiving backlash. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), the film regulatory body in India, handled the scene by attempting to censor the nudity and profanity, but noticeably left the Bhagavad Gita and its quotes intact. Some users were perplexed and shocked that the CBFC attempted to censor profanity, but didn’t address an aspect that could potentially be offensive and hurtful to a large religious community. Similarly, multiple countries have tried to censor Pugh’s nudity but did not address the Bhagavad Gita concerns.

For those unfamiliar with the Bhagavad Gita, the 700-verse Hindu scripture is part of the ancient epic Mahabharata and was written in Sanskrit sometime between the 5th and 2nd century BCE by the sage Krishna Dvaipayana. It reads like a conversation between the protagonist, Prince Arjuna, and Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu. Over the years, the Bhagavad Gita has become one of the single most influential scriptures of Hinduism.

The book delves into both theological and philosophical concepts and is used for spiritual guidance as it embodies many of the themes, morals, and principles of the Hindu religion. Though it’s particularly sacred in Hinduism, the Bhagavad Gita has circulated globally and influenced many thinkers and religions. Some may argue that the Bhagavad Gita isn’t a holy or religious text and is more of a philosophical text that deals with values and how one should live life. However, that doesn’t change the fact that many others do view it as a holy and religious book that should be revered.

(featured image: Universal Pictures)