India's film board has refused to certify a Hindi-language film which has already won acclaim at film festivals.

Lipstick Under My Burkha examines the lives of four women. The censor board explained its decision to deny general release on the grounds that the film was "lady oriented" and contained sexual scenes and abusive language.

The film's director Alankrita Shrivastava described the ban as an assault on women's rights. She told James Coomarasamy she thinks the censors were "bothered" by the film's female point of view.

(Image: Plabita Borthakur. Credit: Prakash Jha Productions)