Barbenheimer fever sweeps Bengaluru, as Oppenheimer arrives with a bang and Barbie shows up in bangs

People were buzzing around theatres in Bengaluru and discussing the much-anticipated movies.

It is officially Barbenheimer fever in Bengaluru, as the highly anticipated Barbie and Oppenheimer hit the screens on July 21. People lined up outside theatres in Bengaluru to watch both movies.

Barbie, featuring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, is about the famous doll’s journey after leaving Barbie Land, and going to the real world. Oppenheimer revolves around the story of American physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer’s contribution to the creation of the atomic bomb.

At Garuda mall in the Central Business District, people were seen buzzing around the theatres and discussing the movies.

Disha, a 26-year-old software engineer, said, “When they announced the live-action version of Barbie, I was so excited! I pre-booked my tickets, and I’ve already watched it with my friends.” 

Anvita, 21, a student, said, “As someone who has watched all the Barbie movies since my childhood, I was very invested in Greta Gerwig’s version of Barbie. Barbie was a fun and wholesome experience, and it challenged social stereotypes.”

The films sparked a surge in demand for pink-coloured clothes and accessories to wear to the movie. Not only children, even adults are taking this as an opportunity to embrace their inner Barbie, with vibrant pink outfits.

Gita, a saleswoman at a popular clothes chain in Commercial Street, said, “There are always people that just try on the clothes, take pictures in the trial room and put them back on the shelf. But recently, I noticed a lot of people, especially young girls, buying a lot of pink stuff. There was a group of 3-4 girls who bought almost ₹5,000 worth of clothes.”