Oppenheimer Opted for Self-Censorship in India but Runtime Remains the Same

Oppenheimer is released today in India, and it was only two days ago that the film received its U/A certificate in the country. Apparently, Oppenheimer opted for self-censorship in order to get clearance from India’s censor board.

It came as a surprise when Oppenheimer, a film featuring mature themes such as sex, nudity, and a story on the development of the world’s deadliest weapon, got the U/A certificate in India. Nolan’s Oppenheimer seems to have been self-censored through jerk cuts, and black spray paint. Only one scene from the entire film has been blurred as part of this self-censorship. Therefore, for those worried about missing out on entire scenes or bits of important information, that will not be the case.

Our thoughts on Oppenheimer’s censorship in India

According to IGN India staff writer, Sanchay Saksena, who attended a show of Oppenheimer, the censorship of the film appears to have been relatively minimal. Apart from a sex scene featuring Cillian and Florence Pugh, which was blurred and censored, there were no significant cuts in the content. Interestingly, Pugh’s back was censored, which was jarring to watch. Additionally, whenever a character smoked in the film, a big “smoking kills” badge was displayed on the screen. However, overall, the level of censorship in the film seemed to be relatively limited, allowing most of the content to be presented intact to the Indian audience.

Here is what the general reaction to the censorship is on social media, which is a mixed bag of emotions:

Oppenheimer’s U/A rating means that the film can now be watched by everyone, but all children below the age of 12 are required to have parental guidance to watch it. Originally, Oppenheimer is actually an R-rated film (which is equivalent to an A-rated film in India), and it is also Nolan’s first R-rated film in the past two decades. As mentioned earlier, Oppenheimer is now in IMAX and standard cinemas across the country.