There is a resurgence of interest in the life of the physicist as a result of the release of Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.”

Conspiracy theories about the atomic bomb have additionally gained traction because of Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer.” This time the relationship in question appears to be one between J. Robert Oppenheimer, the movie’s grey-coded protagonist, and his connections to India.

While many are aware of his enthusiasm for the Hindu text known as the Bhagavad Gita, few are cognizant of his connection to PM Jawaharlal Nehru. Famously, Oppenheimer wrote about the Bhagavad Gita following the atomic bomb’s successful test. He was also seen reciting the words of Krishna during a live interview on television: “Now I am Death, the destroyer of worlds.”

The protagonist of Christopher Nolan’s most recent film, Robert J. Oppenheimer, is an American physicist known as the “father of the atomic bomb.” With the release of the movie, curiosity about the scientist’s life has blossomed. And a just-published book asserted that J. Robert Oppenheimer had been urged to relocate to India and establish himself there. A 723-page copy of Homi Jahangir Bhabha, released in April of the current year, was written by Bakhtiyar K. Dadabhoy, who made the disclosure.

The book discusses Mr Oppenheimer and Mr Bhabha’s cordial connection.

“It’s highly likely that Bhabha and Oppenheimer only became friends after the war was over. Given that Oppenheimer, like Bhabha, was a man of great culture, this was scarcely surprising. According to the New Indian Express, Mr Dadabhoy stated in the biography ‘Homi J. Bhabha: A Life’ that Mr Bhabha had studied Sanskrit and was also conversant in Latin and Greek.

According to the BBC, Mr Oppenheimer was shaken when the atomic bomb he developed was used to destroy Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the Second World War. He had allayed his colleagues’ ethical concerns about creating the potent bomb throughout the development stage by reassuring them that they were merely carrying out their duties and not making decisions about how the weapon should be utilised.

Oppenheimer’s security clearance had been revoked in the US in 1954, leading up to this. The McCarthy era was in full swing at the time, and the “red scare” was pervasive in America. The physicist was suspected of siding with the communists and knocked off the pedestal he had been placed on due to his achievement in developing the atomic weapon.

A well-known Indian physicist at the time named Homi Bhabha was associated with Oppenheimer. They frequently shared meals. Oppenheimer reportedly turned down Nehru’s offer out of concern for further defamation by his nation, according to Bhabha’s biography.

Exchange of “Top Secret” Letters

However, it is claimed that certain archive evidence demonstrates how Vijayalakshmi Pandit, who served as India’s ambassador to the US at the time and is also Nehru’s sister, and Oppenheimer had other conversations.

Oppenheimer called Vijayalakshmi Pandit in a tense manner on February 10, 1950. The scientist contacted Pandit and wanted to impart something of a grave nature, but was unable to do so over the phone. Pandit wrote to Nehru in a top-secret letter later. He would send a middleman.

Nehru received word from Oppenheimer that America was developing its nuclear arsenal and would need to source thorium. He said they would get in touch with India, either directly or via Britain. All of the thorium was intended to be stored.

According to reports, Oppenheimer pleaded with the “Indians in the name of Humanity” to uphold their non-alignment stance and resist any pressure from the West. The Indian government didn’t plan to take any action in the thorium; Nehru repeatedly insisted on Pandit’s letter, and attempts were made to hide the information’s presence.

It is intriguing to learn that Oppenheimer had such intricate ties to India after only skimming over his biography and even Nolan’s movie.