Oscar-nominated ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ faces India release hurdle

Kaouther Ben Hania’s Oscar-nominated feature The Voice of Hind Rajab has run into trouble in India, with its planned theatrical release reportedly being held back by the Central Board of Film Certification, according to the film’s local distributor.

According to Variety, the film, based on the real-life story of a five-year-old Palestinian girl who was trapped in a car struck during an Israeli attack in Gaza and was later found dead, was submitted for certification in February by Mumbai-based distributor Manoj Nandwana of Jai Viratra Entertainment. He said the team had initially aimed for a March 6 release, hoping to bring the film to Indian audiences shortly before the Oscars on March 16.

That release, however, has not gone ahead. Nandwana said he was informed by a member of the certification board that the film was considered too politically sensitive and that allowing it into cinemas could strain ties between India and Israel. He dismissed that reasoning, arguing that diplomatic relations between the two countries were strong enough that the release of a single film would not alter them. He also pointed out that the film has already screened in several countries, including the United States, Britain, Italy and France, all of which maintain ties with Israel.

The certification board did not respond to a request for comment.

The dispute comes against the backdrop of increasingly close ties between New Delhi and Tel Aviv under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose outreach to Israel has marked a notable shift from India’s older pro-Palestinian foreign policy posture. Modi’s late-February visit to Israel was widely seen as another sign of the growing strategic, economic and political alignment between the two countries.

The Voice of Hind Rajab first drew major attention at the Venice Film Festival in September, where it reportedly received a lengthy standing ovation and went on to win the Silver Lion. In the United States, it was released by Willa, the distribution arm of one of the production partners, after other distributors declined to take it on.

This is not the first time India’s film certification system has been accused of blocking work seen as politically delicate. Last year, Sandhya Suri’s Santosh, India’s Oscar-shortlisted police drama, was also prevented from releasing despite having earlier secured script approval and government production support.