Christopher Nolan’s upcoming epic The Odyssey has been cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) without any cuts or modifications, a development that stands in stark contrast to the conversation surrounding Oppenheimer during its India release in 2023.
A source confirmed the news to NDTV and said that the CBFC has passed The Odyssey in its original form, with no scenes or dialogues reportedly altered.
The film, however, has been granted an ‘A’ (Adults Only) certificate, restricting its theatrical viewing to audiences aged 18 years and above.
The censor certificate was issued on July 9. It also lists the film’s runtime as 172.33 minutes, which translates to 2 hours, 52 minutes and 33 seconds.
How Oppenheimer’s India Release Became A Talking Point
When Oppenheimer released in India three years ago, one particular scene generated widespread attention.
In the Indian theatrical version, Florence Pugh’s nude scene was digitally modified with a CGI-generated black dress. The alteration led to debates on social media, with many viewers describing it as an instance of self-censorship.
Reports at the time stated that the modification was made voluntarily by Warner Bros. Discovery and the filmmakers to avoid potential certification issues with the CBFC, and was not a directive from the censor board.
Officially, Oppenheimer was asked to make only two CBFC-mandated changes: the addition of anti-smoking disclaimers wherever required and the muting of an expletive along with its removal from the subtitles.
Despite emerging as a successful film at the Indian box office, Oppenheimer also courted controversy over a sequence featuring Cillian Murphy’s J Robert Oppenheimer and Florence Pugh’s Jean Tatlock, in which verses from the Bhagavad Gita are recited during an intimate scene. The sequence drew criticism from several social media users, who called it “objectionable”.
About The Odyssey
The Odyssey features an ensemble cast led by Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, Tom Holland and Benny Safdie, among others.
The film is Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic poem and follows Odysseus’ decade-long journey back to Ithaca after the Trojan War. The Odyssey is scheduled to release in cinemas on July 17.
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