Aug 21, 2026
Is the film’s Naxal-affected backdrop overshadowing what is essentially a love story?
Mumbai: Shantanu Maheshwari and Rinku Rajguru starrer Sahiya, directed by Sanjay Sharma, continues to await its CBFC certificate even after its preview. The film, set against the backdrop of the forests of Jharkhand and a Naxal-affected region, has now sparked curiosity over whether its sensitive setting is playing a role in the prolonged certification process.
However, there is no official confirmation that the film has been denied certification or that any objection has been raised specifically over its Naxal-related backdrop. The film is currently awaiting certification, leaving its makers and the team looking forward to clarity on its release journey.
Interestingly, the makers insist that Sahiya should not be viewed merely as a film about Naxalism. At its core, the film is presented as a love story about two individuals whose relationship develops amid a difficult and conflict-affected environment.
A Love Story Set In The Jungle
Directed by Sanjay Sharma, Sahiya uses the forests and remote landscape of Jharkhand as an important part of its storytelling. The presence of police, conflict and a Naxal-affected environment forms the backdrop of the narrative, but the emotional centre of the film remains its characters and their relationship.
The film explores how love and human emotions survive when circumstances are far from ordinary.
Is The ‘Naxal Film’ Tag Becoming A Problem?
The certification wait has also raised a larger question within film circles — whether films set against sensitive political or conflict-related backgrounds are sometimes viewed primarily through their subject matter rather than their larger narrative.
In the case of Sahiya, the makers believe that looking at the film only through the prism of Naxalism could potentially overlook its emotional core.
The jungle, according to the film’s premise, is not merely a space associated with conflict. It is also the setting where the protagonists meet, understand each other and develop a relationship.
Real Jharkhand Locations
The film was shot in and around Netarhat and other real locations in Jharkhand, giving the story an authentic visual setting. Rather than recreating the environment, the team chose real landscapes to bring the world of the characters closer to reality.
For first-time feature director Sanjay Sharma, the challenge has been to tell a personal and emotional story within a complex social environment.
Certification Wait Adds To Anticipation
With Sahiya still awaiting its CBFC certificate after the preview, the film’s certification journey has become a talking point ahead of its eventual release.
For now, it would be premature to conclude that the film has faced censorship specifically because of its Naxal-affected setting. The official certification process is still underway.
What remains interesting, however, is whether Sahiya will ultimately be discussed as a film about Naxalism — or recognised for what its makers say lies at its heart: a love story born in the middle of a troubled landscape.
As the film waits for certification, the question surrounding Sahiya is increasingly becoming one of perspective — is it a Naxal story with a love angle, or a love story set against a Naxal-affected backdrop?
Shantanu Maheshwari–Rinku Rajguru Starrer ‘Sahiya’ Still Awaits CBFC Certificate After Preview
