Union Information & Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur has expressed his displeasure with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for clearing an objectionable scene in Christopher Nolan’s latest film Oppenheimer .
According to a report in India Today, Minister Thakur expressed his displeasure over the inclusion of a controversial scene in the film and promptly directed the film certification body to delete the sequence from the movie. Expressing his anger, the Information and Broadcasting Minister questioned how such a scene was allowed to pass the certification process. The Minister has hinted that action may be taken against officials responsible for approving the scene in the film about the Bhagavad Gita.
For the unversed, Oppenheimer is a biopic centred around Robert Oppenheimer, the mind behind the creation of the world’s first atomic bomb. The scene in question features Oppenheimer engaging in a sexual encounter with psychologist Jean Tatler, played by Florence Pugh. During the intimate moment, Tatler prompts Oppenheimer to read a verse from an unidentified Sanskrit book, leading him to recite the words, “Now, I have become Death, destroyer of the world.”
This particular scene has drawn sharp criticism on social media, with some users claiming that the lines recited by the character are from the Bhagavad Gita. In response to the outcry, hashtags like #BoycottOppenheimer and #RespectHinduCulture have been trending, further fueling the controversy.
In fact, one of the Information Commissioners, Uday Mahurkar, also addressed a letter to Christopher Nolan, the director of Oppenheimer, expressing concern over the scene and appealing for its removal worldwide. Mahurkar, who is also the founder of Save Culture Save India Foundation, termed the scene as a “disturbing attack on Hinduism.”
In his letter, he urged Nolan to consider the sentiments of billions of Hindus who revere the Bhagavad Gita and to take the necessary steps to uphold the dignity of their sacred book. Mahurkar warned that failure to address the concerns raised could be seen as a deliberate assault on Indian civilization.
Source: Bollywood Hungama
