Oppenheimer controversy: Oppenheimer controversy: Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur seeks clarification from CBFC

Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Anurag Thakur, has sought clarification from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) regarding a "controversial" scene in the recently released film "Openheimer" in India.

Photo source: social media (Pinterest)

Anurag Thakur

Last Thursday, Minister Anurag Thakur raised concerns about a scene in the film where an intimate portrayal of reading the Bhagavad Gita is depicted. The CBFC had censored the internal scene by blurring or zooming in on shots showing nudity, as the Indian distributor had sensorized it, attempting to dim the cover page of the Bhagavad Gita.

Despite censorship, some viewers find objectionable content in the film, where Robert Oppenheimer, portrayed as having a significant role in the discovery of the atomic bomb, is fervently reading a book in the nude.

In reality, Oppenheimer held the Bhagavad Gita in high regard and had specifically learned Sanskrit to read it.

Some members of the audience have expressed their concerns about the censored version of the film. Minister Anurag Thakur has issued a statement seeking accountability, and the film producers may be asked to remove the controversial scenes. The CBFC had already ordered the removal of offensive language from the film before its release in India.

Uday Mahurkar

On Sunday, Information Commissioner Uday Mahurkar also expressed displeasure with the internal scene, demanding an immediate investigation by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Mr. Mahurkar conveyed his dissatisfaction via his Twitter account, writing an application to director Christopher Nolan regarding the "Openheimer" film.

. @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

Mr. Mahurkar, in a statement to the NIA news agency, had said, "The depiction of the Bhagavad Gita in the scene is a disrespect to the sacred book, undermining our values and heritage, and is highly offensive to the Hindu community." In response, Apar Gupta, founder of the Internet Freedom Foundation, commented on Twitter, "A cabinet minister being 'upset' is not a legal basis for interference in the functioning of a regulatory body like the CBFC; such 'personal conduct' is not in line with the principles of governance under the law."

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