New Delhi: The Indian release of Kaouther Ben Hania’s Oscar-nominated film The Voice of Hind Rajab, originally slated for this month, is being blocked by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). According to its local distributor, the delay is due to political sensitivities surrounding the film.The Voice of Hind Rajab – which tells the story of a real five-year-old Palestinian girl who was trapped inside a car attacked by Israeli forces in Gaza and later found dead – is being censored by the CBFC because “the film is very sensitive,” distributor Manoj Nandwana, who heads Mumbai-based Jai Viratra Entertainment, told Variety.Nandwana said the film was submitted to the CBFC in February and screened as part of the certification process. He had initially targeted a March 6 release, hoping to position it ahead of the March 16 Oscars. However, approval has not been granted. He claimed that a CBFC member informally conveyed concerns that releasing the film could strain India-Israel ties. “If it gets released it would break up the India-Israel relationship,” a CBFC member alleged told Nandwana, as per the report.The hesitation comes against the backdrop of deepening diplomatic engagement between the two countries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Israel just days before the Iran war was started by the US-Israeli forces last month. Notably, Modi was the first leader from the global South who visited Israel and met Benjamin Netanyahu since the beginning of its genocide in Gaza, disregarding the arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Netanyahu as a war criminal.“I told them: the India-Israel relationship is so strong that it’s idiotic to think this movie will break it,” Nadawana added, further noting that The Voice of Hind Rajab has been released “in the US, UK, Italy, France and many other countries that have a relationship with Israel.”“But they want to censor it anyway,” the distributor was quoted as saying by Variety.The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September to a strong reception, drawing more than 20 minutes of applause and winning the Silver Lion. It has since been released in the United States through Willa, the distribution arm of one of its production partners, after other distributors passed on it.Interestingly, journalist Praveen Swami wrote on X that the film is not banned in Israel. “Say what you like about Israelis, but at least they take their own rights and freedoms seriously,” Swami said.