India has blocked the release of “The Voice of Hind Rajab”, a film about the killing of a five-year-old Palestinian girl by Israeli forces, the movie’s distributor told AFP on Saturday.
The Oscar-nominated docudrama by French-Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania recounts the real-life death of Hind Rajab in Gaza last year as her family attempted to flee during Israel’s war with Hamas.
Manoj Nandwana of Jai Viratra Entertainment, the film’s Indian distributor, said a member of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) told him that the film’s theatrical release would “hamper India’s relations with Israel”.
“After screening it for the board it was clear to me that they would not clear it for release in India,” Nandwana told AFP on Saturday, adding that he was not officially notified of the denial.
“The film has been released all over the world including in Israel. Why is it bad or sensitive for Indians?” Nandwana asked. “It’s strange.”
The film was, however, screened at an international film festival in the eastern Indian city of Kolkata in November last year, Nandwana said.
New Delhi has expanded ties with Israel in defense, agriculture, technology and cybersecurity while balancing diplomatic interests in the Middle East and historically supporting Palestinian statehood.
