The India release of The Voice of Hind Rajab, an Oscar-nominated Tunisian film about the death of a five-year-old Palestinian girl during the Gaza conflict, has been put on hold after it failed to secure certification from the Central Board of Film Certification. Distributor Manoj Nandwana said the film was verbally rejected and later referred to a revising committee, with its certification currently pending.

Nandwana claimed he was told that releasing the film could harm India’s relationship with Israel, a suggestion he dismissed as unreasonable. He also said the board objected to a line in which a character uses an expletive against the army, though no other cuts were recommended. The board has not issued an official comment.

Directed by Kaouther Ben Hania, the film blends real recordings with scripted performances to recount the story of a young girl trapped in a car under military fire in Gaza City in 2024. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival to critical acclaim, won the Silver Lion, and was later screened at the United Nations Headquarters in New York during the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people.