Palestinian Film The Voice of Hind Rajab Banned from Screening in India

India’s Film Certification Board (CBFC) has reportedly banned the screening of the Palestinian film, as well as Oscar nominee The Voice of Hind Rajab. The ban was conveyed orally without clear reasons to the film’s distributor in India, Manoj Nandwana.

This docudrama, directed by Kaouther Ben Hania, recounts the tragic story of a young girl, Hind Rajab (5 years old), who died after being shot by Israeli military forces in early 2024 during the Gaza war. The screening ban for this film first emerged on 19 March 2026.

Nandwana admitted to having a premonition that The Voice of Hind Rajab would not pass censorship. This was because the film had not received screening permits at several film festivals in India over the past year.

“In the past, we once requested approval for a film titled Land Jihad. The difference is that the film was rejected in writing by the CBFC on the grounds that it could potentially incite communal conflict. Meanwhile, the film The Voice of Hind Rajab was rejected orally, not in writing, and without clear reasons,” said Nandwana, as quoted by The Hindu website, over the past weekend.