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Published : 22 Mar 2026, 07:57 PM
Indian authorities have censored The Voice of Hind Rajab, the Oscar-nominated Tunisian film about the death of a 5-year-old girl during the Gaza war, fearing that it would “affect the country’s relations with Israel”, reports Variety.
The film was slated to be released this month, the report cited Indian distributor Jai Viratra Entertainment.
The country’s ratings body has a history of blocking a release when it deems a film to be “politically sensitive”, it added.
According to Manoj Nandwana of the Mumbai-based distributor, the film features a Palestinian girl who was trapped inside a car attacked by Israeli forces in Gaza and later found dead.
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) censored it because “the film is very sensitive”, he was quoted as saying.
Nandwana reportedly said he screened the film for the CBFC in February, when he submitted the film for censorship approval, and was planning a Mar 6 Indian release.
“Because we thought it was a good date ahead of the 16th March Oscars,” he told Variety.
Nandwana recalled a CBFC member as saying, “If it gets released, it would break up the India-Israel relationship”.
Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has regularly been supporting Israel, becoming one of the first countries to issue a statement backing the Oct 7 attacks on Gaza.
Modi travelled to Israel in late February, where he received a warm welcome, marking the first visit by an Indian premier in 25 years.
Nandwana said, “I told them: the India-Israel relationship is so strong that it’s idiotic to think this movie will break it.”
He added that despite the film being released in the US, the UK and other countries with diplomatic relations with Israel, the CBFC wanted to “censor it anyway”.
The CBFC denied responding to a request for comment from Variety.
