Why India has blocked this Oscar-nominated film amid Israel-Iran war
India Today
The Voice of Hind Rajab, an Oscar-nominated film scheduled for release this week, has been blocked in India. The reason cited was that it could affect India's cordial ties with Israel amid the Iran war, as per a report. Why has the film stirred controversy? What is it about?
The ripple effect of the Iran war seems to have spilt into India's soft power domain as well. The Voice of Hind Rajab, an Oscar-nominated film scheduled for release this week, has been blocked by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) amid concerns that it could affect India's cordial ties with Israel amid the Middle East turmoil, according to a report by Variety. You may wonder what a film has to do with the Israel-Iran war? The answer lies in the film's sensitive content.
Directed by Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania, the docudrama (a mixture of documentary and drama) tells the soul-stirring story of Hind Rajab, a 5-year-old Palestinian girl who was found dead in a car that was riddled with 335 bullets during Israel's offensive in Gaza in 2024. It recounts the efforts of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society to rescue Rajab and her 15-year-old cousin, who got caught in the crossfire.
The film was supposed to be released in mid-March, coinciding with the 2026 Oscars, but has now been stalled. The film's distributor, Manoj Nandwana, told Variety that he had screened the film for the CBFC members on February 27, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned from his two-day visit to Israel.
However, he was later informed that if the film was allowed to hit the theatres, it would "break up the India-Israel relationship".
It is no secret that India and Israel have forged strong ties over the past decade across various sectors, especially in defence and technology.
India has refrained from directly condemning Israel in United Nations resolutions over the Gaza conflict. During the Iran war too, India has maintained a balanced approach and not taken sides. At the same time, New Delhi has also not condemned the Israeli strikes on Iran.
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