Indian Film Santosh Gains Global Acclaim but gets Banned by Censorship in India
The critically acclaimed film Santosh, which explores police brutality and caste prejudice, faces censorship in India despite international recognition. Director Sandhya Suri continues efforts to bring the film to Indian audiences.
kowshik Reddy
The Indian feature film "Santosh" made by the British-Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri-bears international acclaim for its stark gaze into the various societal issues that plague the Indian police forces. Though it has taken successful journeys abroad through awards at the Cannes Film Festival and in the Oscar nominations in fold, it literally faced the brunt of censorship in India for talking about police brutality, misogyny, and caste prejudice.
"Santosh" narrates the story of a young widow who steps into the shoes of her late husband as a police officer in northern India, and a murder investigation of a Dalit girl serves as the backdrop for exploring corruption, sexism, and communal prejudices in the law enforcement regime. This film has been praised by critics for its true narrative style and cast performances, especially for its brave engagement with deep-seated societal issues.
The Central Board of Film Certification has prevented it from being viewed in this land because of fears about how the police are shown in the film. Sandhya Suri expressed disappointment at that, and the line would ruin the film with the cuts. Santosh runs in cinemas in the UK, while efforts continue to run the uncut version in India. It is just typically the intersection of creativity with censorship, visible in the Indian cinema-bearer of the sheer problems that the filmmakers suffer while talking about sensitive issues related to society.
