Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is in the headlines for so many reasons – among many, the one thing that has gained the attention of netizens is the fascinating relationship and a sex scene between Dr J. Robert Oppenheimer, played by Cillian Murphy, and his love interest Jean Tatlock, played by Florence Pugh.

The scene that made the atomic bomb thriller Nolan’s first R-rated film, has been the talk of the entire world. And the lead actor of the film, Cillian Murphy addressed the talks around the scene as he went on to praise his co-star.

During his interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, the 47-year-old actor talked about Pugh’s role, revealing that, “Those scenes were written deliberately,”

The Irish actor said, ”He [Nolan] knew that those scenes would get the movie the rating that it got. And I think when you see it, it’s so f—ing powerful.”

“And they’re not gratuitous. They’re perfect. And Florence is just amazing.”

The biographical drama revolves around Oppenheimer, who is also known as the Father of the Atomic bomb. The three-hour-long film follows the physicist’s involvement with the Manhattan Project during World War II, his love life and extramarital romantic relationships. For the unversed, Oppenheimer had multiple affairs before and during his marriage to Oppenheimer (played by Emily Blunt).

Further gushing about her co-star, Murphy said, “I think she’s f—ing phenomenal.”

“She has this presence as a person and on screen that is staggering. The impact she has [in ‘Oppenheimer’] for the size of the role, it’s quite devastating.”

Openherimer-Gita controversy

Nolan’s film has caused major controversy in India with an objectionable scene mentioning the holy book Bhagavad Gita. The scene that didn’t land well with the Indian audience shows the mention of holy verses from Bhagavad Gita during the sex scene. The scene in question shows J. Robert Oppenheimer, played by Cillian Murphy, quoting a line from the book while having sex with Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh) as the latter holds up the manuscript. Read the full story here.

Nolan’s film opened up with a thunderous response from the critics, who hailed the atomic bomb thriller of the filmmakers as one of his best works. Despite the good reviews, the film’s box office collection has been overshadowed by its competitor, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. Margot Robbie’s film earned a whopping $155 million and was far ahead of Christopher Nolan’s R-rated drama, which collected $80.5 million in its opening weekend, per Variety.