The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has cleared Arabic film The Voice of Hind Rajab, inspired by the killing of a five-year-old Palestinian girl during the Gaza war, without any cuts, ending months of uncertainty over its release in India, according to the film’s Indian distributor Jai Viratra Entertainment Limited (JVEL). The film has received certification from the CBFC and will hit theaters on June 19, the distributor told HT on Tuesday.
“It’s a miracle. I didn’t have any hope,” Manoj Nandwana, president of JVEL, told HT. “Normally, the CBFC would ask for the scene to be deleted or the sentence muted, but this was not the case.” He added that the film has received an ‘A’ certificate and will be screened in 150 theaters across India.
This approval comes about three months after the Tunisian-French production faced problems with the Accreditation Council. In March, Nandwana claimed that members of the film’s screening committee had expressed concerns that the film might affect diplomatic relations between India and Israel as the film contained certain sensitive scenes. The film was then referred to the review committee under the Cinematography Rules for new review.
Nandwana said he was not aware of why the film was eventually removed, but suggested that public pressure may have played a role. “I don’t know what changed. Maybe it was because a lot of people spoke out against the film not being released,” he said.
Speaking to HT, CBFC Chairman Shashi Shekhar refused to comment on the reasons behind the board’s decision to approve the film after months of uncertainty.
“There is a good review process whereby films are reviewed after initial screening before a final decision on approval is made,” he said.
The film is based on the five-year-old Palestinian girl Hind Rajab, who was killed in Gaza in January 2024 after the car in which she and her relatives were traveling came under fire. The film includes recordings of Rajab’s distress calls to emergency responders and depicts the humanitarian impact of the conflict.
