The film, written and directed by British-Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri, is set in North India.
India Blocks Acclaimed Film Santosh Over Police Brutality Portrayal": The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) of India has disapproved of the release of the critically acclaimed film Santosh in India, reportedly due to concerns about its portrayal of misogyny, Islamophobia, and violence within the Indian police force.
"Internationally acclaimed film Santosh blocked in India over portrayal of police brutality," The Guardian headlined while reporting on India's CBFC blocking the film from screening in the country.
The film, written and directed by British-Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri, is set in North India. This social realism film follows a young widow who joins the police force to support herself and investigate the murder of a young Dalit girl.
"The film is an unflinching fictional portrayal of the murkier elements of the Indian police force, depicting deep-rooted misogyny, discrimination against Dalits – the lowest caste in India, previously known as untouchables – and the normalization of mistreatment and torture by police officers. The film also grapples with the issue of sexual violence in India, particularly against lower-caste women, and the rising tide of anti-Muslim prejudice in the country," The Guardian reported.
The newspaper stated that the film debuted at the Cannes Film Festival, was the UK’s official entry for the Oscars’ international feature category, and was nominated for Best Debut Feature at the BAFTAs this year. The film’s lead actor, Shahana Goswami, won the Best Actress award at the Asian Film Awards.
The Guardian also reported that the CBFC demanded extensive cuts that would significantly affect the film’s core themes related to police conduct and social issues.
"I don’t feel my film glorifies violence in a way that many other films focusing on the police have done. There’s nothing sensationalist about it," The Guardian quoted Suri as saying.
About Sandhya Suri
Sandhya Suri is a British-Indian filmmaker known for her socially relevant and thought-provoking films. She studied documentary filmmaking at the National Film and Television School (NFTS) in the UK.
Her early work includes the documentary I for India (2005), which was based on home video recordings of her family’s migration from India to the UK. The film received critical acclaim.
She later directed The Field (2018), a short film set in rural India, which won awards at international festivals, including Sundance.
Her latest and most recognized work, Santosh (2024), is a police procedural film that explores caste discrimination, misogyny, and police violence in India. The film premiered at Cannes, was the UK’s official Oscar entry, and received a BAFTA nomination.
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