Bhagavad Gita reference in 'Oppenheimer' sex scene sparks outrage in India

A sex scene from the recently released Hollywood movie "Oppenheimer" has drawn online outrage in India, after it was heavily criticized by Hindu nationalist groups. 

One scene from the biographical drama about US physicist Robert Oppenheimer shows the protagonist reciting a verse from the Bhagavad Gita just before sexual intercourse. Bhagavad Gita is considered to be one of the holiest scriptures of Hinduism. 

"This is a direct assault on religious beliefs of a billion tolerant Hindus, rather it amounts to waging a war on the Hindu community," Uday Mahurkar, a senior official at the government's Central Information Commission wrote to the film's director, Christopher Nolan. 

In the letter that he posted on Twitter, Mahurkar argued that the motivation and logic behind including "this unnecessary scene" in the life of a scientist were not clear. 

. @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

Hashtags such as #BoycottOppenheimer and #RespectHinduCulture have been trending on Twitter.

Hindu groups demand sex scene be cut

Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), a prominent right-wing organization, said the movie was an attempt to "launch an attack" on Hindu society and called for the sex scene to be cut. 

VHP spokesperson Vinod Bansal said "the makers should apologize to the Hindu community all over the world whose sentiments have been badly hurt."

However, government critics say religious intolerance has been growing in India since the Hindu nationalist party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014. 

"Oppenheimer" stars Cillian Murphy as a US physicist who oversaw the creation of the atomic bomb during World War II.

The Indian Central Board of Film Certification rated the movie U/A, which recommends parental guidance for viewers aged under 12. 

According to Warner Bros Discovery, which released the film in India, the picture has grossed around 600 million rupees ($7.33 million, € 6.61 million) since Friday.