Anuparna Roy says India blocked Venice-winning film

Indian filmmaker Anuparna Roy said India's Central Board of Film Certification has blocked distribution of her first feature, "Songs of Forgotten Trees", after it won a best director prize at Venice in 2025.

Roy, 28, told AFP the board called the film a "threat to society" and said she was "terribly upset about the censorship". The film follows two migrant women sharing an apartment in Mumbai, including a part-time sex worker and a call centre employee.

Roy returned to Venice this week with her second film, "Lovers of the Blue Night", about Bangladeshi migrants in Mumbai dealing with poverty, grief and sexuality. It is competing in the Horizons section, with winners due to be announced on Saturday.

The CBFC vets Indian film releases and can demand cuts or block distribution. Roy said India's space for independent filmmakers is limited by Bollywood's dominance and political pressure, and said she worries her public support for Palestinian rights may have contributed to her problems with the board.