The Voice of Hind Rajab, an Oscar-nominated film that has received global acclaim, has reportedly been denied release in India. According to a new report, the Central Board of Film Certification declined to clear the film, citing concerns that it could affect India’s relationship with Israel. The film tells the story of a six-year-old girl trapped inside a car in a conflict in Gaza.
Is The Voice of Hind Rajab blocked in India?
A report by Variety states that Kaouther Ben Hania’s film, which was scheduled for release in India this month, will no longer be screened in the country. The film’s Indian distributor, Manoj Nandwana, said that the CBFC refused to grant certification. He added that a member of the board told him, “If it gets released, it would break up the India-Israel relationship.”
Nandwana disagreed with the reasoning, saying, “I told them: the India-Israel relationship is so strong that it’s idiotic to think this movie will break it. The Voice of Hind Rajab has been released in the U.S., U.K., Italy, France and many other countries that have a relationship with Israel. But they want to censor it anyway.”
What is The Voice of Hind Rajab about
The film is a docudrama that follows members of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society as they attempt to rescue six year old Hind Rajab, who was trapped in a vehicle in Gaza during Israeli military fire. Based on a real life incident, the story centres on the killing of Hind Rajab. It premiered in the main competition at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Grand Jury Prize along with six other parallel awards. Featuring performances by Saja Kilani, Motaz Malhees, Amer Hlehel and Clara Khoury, the film was released in theatres in November 2025.
Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian girl, was killed during clashes in the Gaza Strip in January 2024. Reports allege that Israeli forces were responsible for her death, along with six members of her family and two paramedics who were trying to reach her. The incident drew global attention and raised concerns about human rights violations in the Gaza conflict.
The film went on to receive nominations for Best Non English Language Film at the Golden Globe Awards and Best International Feature Film at the Oscars this year. It lost to The Secret Agent at the Golden Globes and to Sentimental Value at the Academy Awards.
