SANTOSH
(Original Title: null)
India (2024) 125 mins.
Genre: Crime/Drama
Directors/writers: Sandhya Suri
Cast: Shahana Goswami, (Santosh Saini), Sunita Rajwar (Greeta Sharma)
Screening 13 January 2027 at Swindon Arts Centre
Synopsis
Newly widowed Santosh inherits her husband's job as a police constable in the rural Badlands of Northern India. When a girl's body is found, she's pulled into the investigation under the wing of charismatic feminist inspector Sharma.
Reviews
Suri’s film, the UK’s Best International Feature Film entry for the Oscars, tells the story of this young policewoman as she bears witness to the corrupt judicial system in India, exploring the messy intersections of class, gender, caste and religion. It’s a broad sweep of ideas, but when you set out to make a film on the police, you must address systemic corruption. Suri largely succeeds.
Goswami is physically perfect for this role, not just because her natural good looks can be comfortably played down to appear more average. It’s her wide eyes that are most memorable. They embody the character’s own metaphorical eye-opening. The camera also takes on her wide-eyed perspective in some scenes; in others, it accompanies her and witnesses her contained anger, humiliation, pride and understanding.
Film Facts
- Santosh selected for UK’s Best International Feature for the 2025 Oscars
- For her first fiction film, Sandhya Suri, previously a documentary filmmaker, was inspired by a case of gang rape in New Delhi
- Release of Santosh was blocked in India over its portrayal of police brutality