The Oscar-nominated film The Voice of Hind Rajab, which documents the story of a five-year-old girl killed by Israeli forces during the Gaza war in early 2024, has been orally rejected for certification by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), according to the film’s India distributor.
Manoj Nandwana told The Hindu that the film was denied a theatrical release in India. The theatrical ban was first reported on March 19 by Hollywood trade publication Variety.
The Film’s Subject
The Voice of Hind Rajab tells the story of Hind Rajab, a five-year-old Palestinian girl who was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza in early 2024. The film has garnered international attention and received an Oscar nomination.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Film Title | The Voice of Hind Rajab |
| Subject | 5-year-old Hind Rajab, killed by Israeli forces in Gaza (early 2024) |
| Recognition | Oscar-nominated |
| Origin | Tunisian-produced |
The CBFC’s Oral Rejection
Nandwana told The Hindu that he “had a feeling” the film would be refused certification, as multiple film festivals—which require Ministry of Information and Broadcasting clearance for movies without a CBFC certificate—were not granted approval for the film over the last year.
He added that he was not going to proceed with a legal challenge and noted that he did not receive the rejection in writing.
“In the past, we submitted a film called Land Jihad … but then the Censor Board gave it in writing that this could cause communal issues, and rejected it in writing,” Nandwana said.
Festival History
The film was denied screening at multiple festivals, including:
- Bengaluru International Film Festival
- International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa
The only festival where it played in India was the Kolkata International Film Festival. Nandwana speculated this was because the organizers did not bother with clearances from the Union government.
Government Response
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the CBFC did not respond to a query from The Hindu. A senior official told The Hindu on Friday that the film has now been referred to a Revising Committee in the CBFC over the last few days and will be reviewed by them.
Political Reaction
Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor condemned the ban, calling it “disgraceful.”
“Screening a film is a reflection of our society’s freedom of expression and has nothing to do with government to government relations,” Tharoor said.
He added that banning films for potentially harming foreign relations is “unworthy of a mature democracy.”
Distributor’s Financial Loss
Nandwana purchased the rights for the Tunisian-produced film long before it became an Oscar contender, buying it for the equivalent of ₹1 crore at the Venice Film Festival. His purchase is not insured against such a ban, and he said the producers of the film were “shocked” at the decision.
He expressed no faith in the revising committee of the CBFC, stating it was “all the same people” who would ultimately decide the film’s fate.
