Hyderabad: Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer headlined by Cillian Murphy is going strong at the Indian box office. The biographical thriller on the life of theoretical physicist and director of the Manhattan Project's J. Robert Oppenheimer managed to rake in over Rs 70 crore in the first week.
Christopher Nolan's film Oppenheimer and Greta Gerwig's Barbie were released simultaneously in India and had a successful first week at the box office. According to industry tracker Sacnilk, Oppenheimer collected Rs 67.85 crore in its first six days and an additional Rs 5.25 crore on the seventh day, bringing its total nett collection in India to Rs 73.15 crore.
As Oppenheimer enters its second weekend, it faces tough competition from Karan Johar's romantic drama Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, starring Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh. KJo's film which is touted to open with double digits in India can potentially impact Oppenheimer's collection in days to come.
The success of Barbie and Oppenheimer at the box office is mainly in urban cities, particularly the top eight cities of India, where they are performing exceptionally well due to the availability of numerous screens and showtimes. On the other hand, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani is expected to have a larger audience base.
Globally, Barbie has been outperforming Oppenheimer, with the former grossing over $495 million and the latter collecting $230 million, as reported by Box Office Mojo. In India, Oppenheimer ranks as the third-largest market for the film, contributing over $8 million to its global total. The United States holds the top spot, with earnings of over $117 million, followed by the UK with over $16 million.
Controversy surrounded Oppenheimer in India due to a particular scene depicting two characters sharing an intimate moment while reading the Bhagavad Gita. The Information and Broadcasting Minister, Anurag Thakur, expressed dissatisfaction with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) for allowing the scene and a few reports also suggest that action could be initiated against some officials.
