Hyderabad: Christopher Nolan's film Oppenheimer got off to a strong start at the box office in India. The movie's opening earnings in India surpassed the day one earnings of Tom Cruise's latest release Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One, which had collected Rs 12.5 crore nett.
Nolan's film features Cillian Murphy in the lead role, portraying physicist J Robert Oppenheimer, often referred to as the Father of the Atomic Bomb. Set during World War II, the biopic explores Oppenheimer's role in the invention of nuclear weapons and his moral dilemma when he realized the potentially catastrophic consequences of testing the atomic bomb.
On its opening day, Oppenheimer lured the Indian audience to a great extent as the film had an overall 48.76% occupancy. According to industry tracker Sacnilk, the early estimate for Oppenheimer box office collection on day 1 hints at Rs 13.50 crore nett in India.
The movie received mixed reviews in India but managed to register an impressive total on opening day. The biographical drama covers various aspects of Oppenheimer's life, including his days as a teacher introducing quantum mechanics in the US, his association with the communist party, his complex relationship with Jean Tatlock (played by Florence Pugh), his involvement in the war against the Nazis, and his role in the Manhattan Project.
As the majority of reviews suggest, Oppenheimer demands full attention from the audience to keep up with the intricate narrative and barrage of information packed in a 3-hour runtime. Instead of merely telling a story, Oppenheimer expects viewers to have some background knowledge about the subject to fully engage with the film. Nolan's film faced tough competition from another Hollywood release, Barbie, resulting in what the media dubbed the "Barbenheimer" clash on July 21.
Cillian and Florence aside, the stellar cast includes Matt Damon as General Leslie Groves, the head of the Manhattan Project, Emily Blunt as Oppenheimer's wife, Katherine Oppenheimer, and Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss, head of the United States Atomic Energy Commission (AEC).
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