India halts release of ‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ citing concerns over India-Israel ties

The Central Board of Film Certification has prevented the theatrical release of The Voice of Hind Rajab in India, reportedly due to concerns that the film could strain diplomatic relations between India and Israel, according to the movie’s local distributor cited by Variety.

Directed by Kaouther Ben Hania, the Oscar-nominated film tells the true story of Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl who was found dead after being trapped in a car that came under Israeli attack in Gaza in 2024.

The incident occurred during Israel’s large-scale military offensive in the enclave, which began in October 2023 and has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths.

Manoj Nandwana of Jai Viratra Entertainment, who is distributing the film in India, said the project was considered highly sensitive. He claimed that a member of the CBFC indicated that allowing its release could negatively affect India’s ties with Israel.

Nandwana added that he had screened the film for the board in February while seeking certification and had initially planned a March 6 release ahead of the Oscars, Scroll.in reported.

The 2026 Academy Awards, organised by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, took place on March 16 in Los Angeles. Although The Voice of Hind Rajab was nominated in the International Feature Film category, it did not win.

Nandwana further stated that the film has not yet received clearance from the certification board.

The development coincided with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel in late February. During his address to the Knesset on February 25, Modi expressed solidarity with Israel following the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas that killed around 1,200 people.

He said India stood firmly with Israel and emphasised a shared policy of zero tolerance toward terrorism, while also noting the long historical ties between the two countries.

India has traditionally supported a two-state solution, advocating for an independent Palestinian state coexisting peacefully with Israel.

Responding to the censorship, Nandwana reportedly argued that India-Israel relations were strong enough that a single film would not impact them. He also pointed out that the film had already been released in several countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy and France, all of which maintain diplomatic relations with Israel.

A government official, speaking to The Hindu, said the film had recently been referred to a revising committee within the CBFC for further review.

Meanwhile, Ben Hania questioned the decision in a social media post, suggesting that it implied a fragile relationship between India and Israel if a film could potentially disrupt it.

In a similar instance last year, the CBFC had also halted the release of Santosh, a film by Sandhya Suri that dealt with caste and religious politics in a fictional Indian setting and had been shortlisted for the Oscars.