In a surprising turn of events for the Indian film industry, the theatrical release of the Oscar-nominated feature The Voice of Hind Rajab has been stalled by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The move, which has drawn international attention through a recent report by Variety, is reportedly based on concerns regarding India’s diplomatic relationship with Israel. Directed by the acclaimed Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania, the film tells the true story of Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl who was trapped in a car under fire in Gaza. The docudrama recreates her final hours using the actual audio of her desperate phone calls to emergency operators. While the film has earned global praise, including a 20-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival where it won the Silver Lion, its journey to Indian screens has hit a major roadblock.
Manoj Nandwana, head of the Mumbai-based Jai Viratra Entertainment and the film’s local distributor, shared the details of the censorship struggle. He submitted the film to the CBFC in February, hoping for a March 6 release to coincide with the buzz surrounding the Academy Awards on March 16. However, the certification was never granted. Nandwana revealed that a member of the censor board informally told him that releasing the film would break up the India-Israel relationship. The distributor expressed his frustration with this reasoning, saying, “I told them: the India-Israel relationship is so strong that it’s idiotic to think this movie will break it.” He pointed out that the film has already been released in the U.S., U.K., Italy, and France – all countries that maintain strong ties with Israel – yet “they want to censor it anyway.”
This delay places The Voice of Hind Rajab alongside other recent films like Santosh and Punjab 95, which have also faced hurdles in India due to their politically sensitive themes. For now, Indian audiences remain waiting to see if this story will ever make it to the big screen.
Also Read: I Owe Everything to Karan Johar: Ishita Moitra on Her Journey, Finding Her Voice & More – Exclusive
