The Indian theatrical release of Kaouther Ben Hania’s Oscar-nominated feature The Voice of Hind Rajab, scheduled for this month, has been stalled by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), with the film’s local distributor alleging political reasons behind the move.
The Voice of Hind Rajab tells the story of a real 5-year-old Palestinian girl who was trapped inside a car attacked by Israeli forces in Gaza and later found dead.
The film has been censored by the CBFC because “the film is very sensitive,” distributor Manoj Nandwana, who heads Mumbai-based Jai Viratra Entertainment, told Variety.
Nandwana said he screened The Voice of Hind Rajab for the CBFC in February after submitting it for certification and had planned a March 6 release in India “because we thought it was a good date ahead of the March 16 Oscars”.
However, the film has not been cleared for release, and he was told by a CBFC member that “if it gets released it would break up the India-Israel relationship,” Nadawana said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Israel in late February, where he received the Speaker of the Knesset Medal.
“I told them: the India-Israel relationship is so strong that it’s idiotic to think this movie will break it,” Nadawana added. “The Voice of Hind Rajab” has been released “in the US, UK, Italy, France and many other countries that have a relationship with Israel. But they want to censor it anyway,” the distributor said.
The CBFC has not responded to Nadawana’s claims.
The Voice of Hind Rajab premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September 2025, where it received more than 20 minutes of applause and won the Silver Lion.
It has since been released in the U.S. by Willa, the production partner’s distribution arm. The film was screened at the 2025 edition of Kolkata International Film Festival.
This is not the first time that the CBFC has blocked the clearance for films deemed politically sensitive. Last year, the board halted the release of Sandya Suri’s Oscar-shortlisted Santosh, a police procedural set in a fictional northern Indian state. Honey Trehan’s Punjab 95 is also in limbo.
