India has barred the theatrical release of of an Oscar-nominated feature over ‘political’ concerns. The Voice of Hind Rajab was directed by Kaouther Ben Hania and documents the final call made by a five-year-old Palestinian girl in war-torn Gaza. The real Hind Rajab had died after spending hours on the phone with volunteers from the Palestine Red Crescent Society — with Israeli forces firing more than 300 bullets into her family car. The ban has sparked outrage with many including Congress MP Shashi Tharoor calling it a “disgraceful” decision.
“That’s pretty disgraceful. In a democracy, screening a film is a reflection of our society’s freedom of expression and has nothing to do with government-to-government relations. This practice of banning films or books because of the offence they might cause to foreign countries must stop immediately. It’s unworthy of a mature democracy,” Tharoor wrote on X.
Why has India banned the movie?
According to a report by Variety, the censor board has blocked theatrical release for ‘political reasons’. Distributor Manoj Nandwana — who heads Mumbai-based Jai Viratra Entertainment — told the publication that it was being blocked because “the film is very sensitive”. He cited a CBFC member as explaining that releasing the Oscar-nominated film would “break up the India-Israel relationship”.
Who was Hind Rajab?
The docudrama is based on real events from the Gaza war — tracking the final hours of a five-year-old Palestinian girl’s life. The real Hind Rajab was killed as Israeli forces fired 335 bullets into her family car in January 2024. She spent hours frantically calling for help while surrounded by dead family members and eventually succumbed to her injuries. Dispatchers from the Palestine Red Crescent Society stayed on the phone with the toddler for nearly three hours after her 15-year-old cousin was killed in a second round of fire while speaking to them.
The aid agency had released snippets of the heart-wrenching conversation via social media — drawing international outrage and calls for accountability. Two paramedics sent to rescue Hind were also killed alongside the six-year-old upon reaching the site. The dispatchers had waited for “safe passage” coordination from the Israeli military and eventually went to the area upon getting what they believed was a green signal.
The film uses the actual audio of her panicked phone conversation with emergency operators while waiting for help.