Eight Rajya Sabha MPs from the Opposition have urged Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to intervene and grant the broadcast certificate for Voice of Hind Rajab, after the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) informally told its distributor that the film would not be approved as it could adversely affect India-Israel relations. The Tunisian film tells the story of Hind Rajab, a six-year-old Palestinian girl killed by Israeli forces in Gaza in 2024.
They said that India's democratic strength lies in its “abiding faith that ideas, narratives and artistic expressions must be tested in the open marketplace of ideas, rather than suppressed by prior restraint.”
“..We earnestly urge the Government to issue urgent directions to the CBFC to ensure that the film "The Voice of Hind Rajab' is examined strictly in accordance with the constitutional principles governing freedom of expression, and that certification is granted at the earliest possible opportunity,” the letter said.
The letter was jointly signed by MPs Brittas John, Jairam Ramesh, Ram Gopal Yadav, Manoj Kumar Jha, Salma, Sarfaraz Ahmad, Haris Beeran, and Javed Ali Khan.
The MPs contended that the screening of a film is an exercise of artistic expression protected within the constitutional framework and cannot be made contingent upon “perceived diplomatic relationships.”
“Cinema has historically served as an important medium through which societies engage with complex historical, political and humanitarian questions. It is a foundational principle of our constitutional democracy that artistic expression cannot be curtailed through informal or opaque mechanisms,” the letter said.
It pointed out that the Cinematograph Act, 1952 envisages a transparent and reasoned certification process, where decisions affecting public exhibition of films are taken strictly on statutory grounds. “Any departure from this due process, including oral instructions or informal advisories that effectively result in denial of certification, undermines institutional credibility and erodes public confidence in regulatory bodies entrusted with protecting creative freedom,” the letter said.
According to the film’s Indian distributor Manoj Nandwana, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has orally declined certification to Voice of Hind Rajab, saying that the film’s release would “break up the India-Israel relationship.”
The film was originally scheduled for release on March 6, according to reports. Nandwana says that the CBFC did not object to the film in writing. Meanwhile, The Hindu reported that the film is now being sent to the Revising Committee for reviewing.
The film written and directed by Kaouther Ben Hania was nominated for Oscar under the best international feature film category along with It Was Just an Accident, The Secret Agent and Sentimental Value.
On January 29, Hind was fleeing Tel al-Hawa in Gaza along with her family members in a car following evacuation orders. But they were targeted by the Israel Army’s 401 Armoured Brigade. The call made by the injured Hind pleading with the Red Crescent volunteers and her mother to rescue her went viral. An Israeli tank fired at the car and the ambulance which came to the rescue from close range. A total of 335 bullet holes were found on the car’s exterior. According to investigators, 64 gunshots were fired in just six seconds. It is alleged that the 401 Armoured Brigade were aware of the presence of civilians including children in the car, as the tank was in close range.
The heinous act was widely condemned as a war crime. The Hind Rajab Foundation has already approached the International Criminal Court (ICC) seeking action against the 24 Israeli soldiers and commanders who directly participated in or facilitated the attack.
The film depicts these tragic deaths and uses the actual audio of Hind’s panicked phone conversation with emergency operators as she waited for help.