Union minister Anurag Thakur warns of action on CBFC over ‘Oppenheimer’

NEW DELHI: As Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer’, which released worldwide to critical acclaim last week, faced accusations of religious insensitivity over a controversial scene featuring a copy of the Bhagavad Gita, Union I&B minister Anurag Thakur demanded “absolute accountability” from the Central Board of Film Certification and asked the filmmakers to promptly remove the scene.
The scene triggered sharp criticism in India, with many on social media accusing Nolan of hurting religious sentiments. The Union I&B minister is understood to have taken a stern view of the matter deeming it the collective failure of the CBFC to “safeguard the interests of the public”. He said the issue cannot be overlooked and stringent action will be taken against all CBFC members involved in approving the screening of the movie.

The offensive scene shows Oppenheimer with his lover Jean Tatlock, played by Florence Pugh, in which she opens a copy of the Bhagavad Gita and asks him to read from it.

Murphy reads the line, “Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds”, the quote which Oppenheimer reportedly recalled when the first nuclear bomb was detonated. The scene then segues to an intimate scene between the two.
The government’s sharp reaction comes in the wake of several efforts to rein in vulgarity in visual media in what it says is a response to “public sentiments”. The demand for accountability from the CBFC also reflects what government sources described as its “commitment to maintaining a robust and responsible film certification process”.

“It’s (the scene) an insult to Bhagavad Gita, which is our holy book. It sends out powerful and meaningful messages to the entire world. How could someone demean it this way? The scene is an assault on our values and civilisation. It's an assault on the Hindu community...Nolan should remove this scene from the film. It reeks of religious hatred. If he doesn't take out the scene, we will act,” Central Information Commissioner Uday Mahurkar said.