Independent Indian filmmaker Anuparna Roy has spoken out after her award-winning debut film Songs of Forgotten Trees was blocked by Indian censors and prevented from being released in her home country.

Roy, who is only 28, made headlines in 2025 when Songs of Forgotten Trees won the Best Director award in the Horizons section at the Venice Film Festival. The achievement marked a major breakthrough for the young filmmaker and brought international attention to her work.

However, her return to Venice this year has been overshadowed by the ongoing problems surrounding her debut feature. Roy revealed that India’s film certification authorities recently informed her team that the movie was considered a “threat to society” and could not be distributed.