- By Aarushi Raina
- Thu, 27 Mar 2025 02:59 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Santosh, a critically acclaimed movie written by British-Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri, has become embroiled in controversy. The crime drama, which was the UK's official entry to the Oscars, is facing challenges against its theatrical release in India. The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has stalled the release of the Shahana Goswami-starrer, asking for extensive cuts due to the theme and depiction of violence and the police force.
Santosh Movie Controversy
Santosh is a crime drama set against the backdrop of rural north India, following the murder of a young girl. It tells the story of a young widow who joins the police force and embarks on a mission to investigate the murder of a young Dalit girl. The film portrays deep-rooted misogyny, discrimination against Dalits, and the treatment of the police force. The film garnered widespread acclaim following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival 2024. It was the UK's official entry for the Oscars' International Feature category and secured a BAFTA nomination for Best Debut Feature this year. Now, it is facing obstacles for release in India due to the CBFC's decision.
Shahana Goswami, who plays the lead role, shared her disappointment over the CBFC's decision. In a conversation with India Today, she said, “The censor has given a list of changes they require for the film to release, and we, as a team, are not in agreement with the cuts as they would change the film too much. So, it is in a deadlock, and it probably won’t release theatrically in India."
The actress added, "It's just sad that something that has gone through censor approval at the script level should require so many cuts and changes for it to be considered okay to release in India."
Writer Sandhya Suri also shared her feelings, stating, “It was surprising for all of us because I didn’t feel that these issues were particularly new to Indian cinema or hadn’t been raised before by other films.
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Sharing her disappointment, Suri added, “It was very important to me that the film is released in India, so I did try to figure out if there was a way to make it work. But in the end, it was just too difficult to make those cuts and have a film that still made sense, let alone stay true to its vision,” the Guardian report quoted.