Santosh (2024 film)

2024 Hindi film by Sandhya Suri

Santosh

Indian theatrical release poster with original release date

Directed by| Sandhya Suri
Written by| Sandhya Suri
Produced by|

* Mike Goodridge
* James Bowsher
* Balthazar de Ganay
* Alan McAlex

Starring|

* Shahana Goswami
* Sunita Rajwar
* Sanjay Bishnoi
* Kushal Dubey

Cinematography| Lennert Hillege
Edited by| Maxime Pozzi-Garcia
Music by| Luisa Gerstein

Production
companies

* BFI
* BBC Film
* mk2 Films
* Good Chaos
* Haut et Court
* Razor Film
* ZDF
* Arte
* Suitable Pictures

Distributed by| Civic Studios
Vertigo Releasing (United Kingdom and Ireland)
PVR Inox Pictures (India)
Haut et Court (France)

Release dates

* 20 May 2024 (2024-05-20) (Cannes)
* 17 July 2024 (2024-07-17) (France)
* 21 March 2025 (2025-03-21) (United Kingdom)

Running time

| 120 minutes
Countries|

* United Kingdom
* India
* Germany
* France

Language| Hindi
Budget| $2.5 million[1]
Box office| $1.3 million[2]

Santosh is a 2024 Hindi-language police procedural crime drama film written and directed by Sandhya Suri. It is an international co-production of the United Kingdom, India, Germany, and France. Set in rural north India, it stars Shahana Goswami as a widow who inherits her late husband's job of police constable and is involved in the investigation of the murder and rape of a Dalit teenager.

The film was intended to be a documentary on sexual abuse in India, but the director decided to create a film after seeing an image of female demonstrators spitting on a female constable in a protest on 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder. Filming lasted from August to October 2023 in Lucknow, India. The film had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the 77th Cannes Film Festival on 20 May 2024,[3][4] where it received positive reviews from critics. It was named one of the top 5 international films of 2024 by the National Board of Review,[5] and was nominated at the 78th BAFTA Awards for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer.[6] It was also selected as the UK's entry for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards, making the December shortlist.[7]

## Plot

[edit]

Santosh Saini, the wife of an Indian constable who was killed during a riot, visits the police headquarters for her husband's pension. She inherits her spouse's job as a constable through a government scheme called "compassionate recruitment" and is appointed at a rural town. During her duty, she overhears a Dalit man talk about the disappearance of his 15-year-old daughter, Devika Pippal, two days ago. The father has previously reported to the police but was ignored. Santosh tells him that he can file a complaint again with her. They both report to the police station but are mockingly disregarded.

The next day, she comes across a protest in front of the police station. She sees the corpse of Devika among the crowd, who had been raped, murdered, and dumped in a well in a Dalit village. Devika's parents, who are beside Devika, demand justice from the police and state that they will not move unless the suspect is punished. The police forcibly disperse the crowd; Santosh and other female constables are ordered to drag the protesters away. Santosh delivers the body to the morgue afterward at her own expense. The death and related protests receive widespread media attention.

Santosh, Inspector Geeta Sharma, and other police officers arrive in the Dalit village to investigate her death. Santosh learns through Devika's parents that Devika was last seen by her family at dawn to fetch water. She finds Devika's cellphone and reads her text messages with Saleem, who mentioned that he was going to Mumbai. That evening, she reports her findings to Geeta.

Santosh visits the village chief's[a] house, where Saleem and his father work on the chief's farm, and finds out that they left days ago. Afterward, she meets one of Saleem's friends at a cricket match, gives him her phone number, and pressures him to provide information on Saleem. The friend eventually texts her the name of the city where Saleem is staying.

Santosh and Geeta plan to arrest Saleem in the city where he is staying. However, Geeta has an emergency, and Santosh has to begin the investigation alone for the day. Geeta arrives later, and they arrest Saleem in the evening. They report to the police commissioner's house. After a politician, Beniwal, visits the commissioner, the commissioner suggests they keep Saleem near his house.

On the day after Saleem's arrest, the police beat him during interrogations at an abandoned house. Saleem admits that he knew Devika, liked her, and received Devika's cellphone number. Unsatisfied with his answers, the officers torture and waterboard Saleem during the interrogations. Santosh is handed a paddle, then beats Saleem repeatedly under pressure before having a panic attack.

Santosh couldn't sleep afterward. Geeta gives her a sleeping pill and mentions that Saleem is dead. Santosh contemplates his death and questions if he is innocent. Geeta responds that his being innocent would not forward the case. Santosh discreetly checks Saleem's smartphone and finds out that he was in Mumbai on the day of Devika's death, which implies that he would not have raped and murdered Devika. In the following days, Santosh and the police team tell others that Saleem died by hanging himself. However, Geeta privately warns Santosh that autopsy reports will eventually reveal Santosh as responsible for Saleem's death.

Santosh visits the village chief's house and learns that Devika went to fetch water at the chief's well, as a cat's corpse had contaminated the well in the Dalit village. While Santosh is at the chief's house, Beniwal, the chief's sister-in-law, arrives. Santosh asks Beniwal whether he was aware of Devika's entry. However, Beniwal avoids her question, and one of his friends comments that Dalits are not allowed to fetch water at the chief's well and casually mentions a party they had recently. When Santosh confronts Beniwal about whether he was responsible for Devika's murder, he responds by asking what she would do if he were guilty.

Santosh meets Geeta at a restaurant and confronts her that Geeta knew that Saleem was innocent. Geeta responds that Saleem's death has brought justice and a caution to those would rape, and finding the true culprit would not be beneficial to Devika's family and village. Geeta shows her suspension letter to Santosh. After a visit to the Pippal house, Santosh returns to her quarters, leaves her uniform, and boards an intercity train.

## Cast

[edit]

* Shahana Goswami as Santosh Saini
* Sunita Rajwar as Geeta Sharma
* Sanjay Bishnoi as Beniwal
* Kushal Dubey as Vikram
* Nawal Shukla as Thakur
* Pratibha Awasthi as Priya

## Production

[edit]

The film was directed by British-Indian film director Sandhya Suri. Suri, who had worked with nongovernmental organizations in northern India, wanted to create a documentary on the context of sexual abuse against women in India as a follow-up to the 2005 documentary I for India. She eventually dropped the project as she struggled to translate her research "as a documentary form because it was just too horrific".[8][9] However, she decided to use fiction after she saw an image of female demonstrators spitting on a female constable during a protest on the 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder. Suri decided to create a fiction film to narrate "what is it like to be her [the female constable] in uniform and out of uniform".[10] She then discovered that an eligible person can inherit the job of a deceased immediate family member who died while in government service, which became a key part of the film's narrative.[10][11] Suri consulted with police anthropologists for the script.[10]

Principal photography occurred over 45 days from August to October 2023 in and around Lucknow, India.[12][13] The cast is composed of both professional and nonprofessional actors. One person from the production's catering team was selected as an actor. The person who would portray the mother of the deceased girl was an observer who asked what was going on while the film crew prepared the film location at a police station.[11] Real locations were used for the film; a scene shot in a hotel included people who living there rather than hired extras for authenticity.[14] The producers sent requests to Delhi's chief controller of railways to film a scene on a train at the national railway.[15] Mumbai-based producer Suitable Producers assisted producers based in the United Kingdom in navigating shooting locations in India.[16]

British film producer James Bowsher decided that the setting would be an unnamed city in India for its portrayal of local police.[15] Producers decided not to apply for the Uttar Pradesh Film Subsidy to avoid filming stipulations from local authorities.[15] While editing the film, producers debated whether to include a score to add tension in several scenes. Director Suri did not add a score.[14]

## Release

[edit]

The film premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in May 2024. It was also selected for the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2024, where it was part of the South Asia Competition section.[17] In December 2024, PVR Inox Pictures acquired Indian distribution rights to the film from mk2 Films, scheduling it for a theatrical release on 10 January 2025.[18][19] However, the film's Indian release was indefinitely delayed after failing to obtain certification clearance from the Central Board of Film Certification.[20] In March 2025, Indian film censors blocked the film's release outright, supposedly over concerns of its depictions of Islamophobia, casteism, misogyny and police brutality, and demanded that cuts be made to the film to tone down any content deemed offensive.[21][22] The production team found the ban unexpected since the script received approval from Indian authorities for shooting for filming without issues.[20] The director called the ban on the film in India surprising as the issues raised in the film were not "particularly new to Indian cinema or hadn’t been raised before by other films".[23][24]

## Reception

[edit]

### Critical response

[edit]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 55 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The website's consensus reads: "Shahana Goswami bristles with unforgettable intensity in Santosh, a nervy procedural that asks the hard questions about a culture's social hierarchy."[25] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 75 out of 100, based on 16 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[26]

Santosh received provided positive reception for its casting, especially on the effectiveness of Rajwar and Goswami in depicting a mentor-mentee relationship and the casting of non-actors, which added authenticity to the film.[27][28] The film's cinematography, which has been described as claustrophobic through its use of shadows similar to procedurals by a reviewer,[27] was also discussed by several reviewers. For instance, Variety's Siddhant Adlakha noticed consistent silent reaction shots of Santosh throughout the film. Adlanka found these camera shots "an occasionally distancing experience", but realizes that these force viewers to infer the film's theme.[29] The film's cinematography, by placing characters into "static frames" such as cramped police stations, houses, and alleyways, reflect the subtle compromises characters undergo in the film for The Hindu's Ayaan Paul Chowdhury.[28]

Film reviewers described Santosh as a documentary-like analysis.[30] The film provides commentary through "offhand remarks and casual cruelties" rather than exposition.[29][28] Adlankha described Suri's writing as "intellectually stimulating rather than emotionally engaging"; the film ambiguity about Devika's murder causes its lack of dramatic suspense.[29] Robert Abele of the Los Angeles Timesstates that the film presents issues of "police cliques [...] at the cost of human drama" in several instances.[31] However, the ending was a "faint hesitation" in the film's analysis of corruption, Chowdhury notes. They argue that after a thorough analysis of corruption in the Indian police, Santosh "suddenly feels compelled to tidy things" and move away.[32]

### Accolades

[edit]

Award  | Date of ceremony  | Category  | Recipient(s)  | Result  | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|

Cannes Film Festival | 25 May 2024 | Prix Un Certain Regard | Sandhya Suri | Nominated  | [33]
BFI London Film Festival | 20 October 2024 | Sutherland Award for Best First Feature | Santosh | Nominated  | [34]
Seville European Film Festival | 16 November 2024  | Best Screenplay Award  | Sandhya Suri  | Won  | [35]
Camerimage | 23 November 2024 | Golden Frog – Directors' Debuts Competition  | Won  | [36]
Tokyo Filmex | 30 November 2024  | Special Jury Award  | Santosh | Won  | [37][38]
Student Jury Prize  | Won
National Board of Review | 4 December 2024 | Top Five International Films | Won[b] | [39]
European Film Awards | 7 December 2024 | European Discovery – Prix FIPRESCI | Santosh | Nominated  | [40]
British Independent Film Awards | 8 December 2024 | Best British Independent Film | Sandhya Suri, Mike Goodridge, James Bowsher, Balthazar de Ganay and Alan McAlex  | Nominated  | [41]
Best Screenplay | Sandhya Suri  | Won
Best Debut Screenwriter | Nominated
Breakthrough Producer | Balthazar De Ganay, James Bowsher  | Won
Asian Film Awards | 16 March 2025 | Best Actress | Shahana Goswami | Won  | [42]
Best New Director | Sandhya Suri  | Won
British Academy Film Awards | 16 February 2025 | Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer | Sandhya Suri, James Bowsher, Balthazar de Ganay (also produced by Mike Goodridge and Alan McAlex)  | Nominated  | [43]

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ The village chief is referred to as Pradhan
2. ^ This award does not have a single winner, but recognizes multiple films.

## See also

[edit]

* List of submissions to the 97th Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film
* List of British submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Calnan, Ellie (19 May 2024). "'Santosh' producer on the freedom of filming in India". Screen International. Archived from the original on 11 June 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
2. ^ "Santosh". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 7 May 2025.
3. ^ Pavan, Benoit (20 May 2024). "Santosh, Sandhya Suri's vision". Festival de Cannes. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
4. ^ "The Screenings Guide of the 77th Festival de Cannes". Festival de Cannes. 8 May 2024. Archived from the original on 8 May 2024. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
5. ^ "2024 Archives". National Board of Review. Archived from the original on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
6. ^ "BAFTA Awards 2025: Sandhya Suri's Santosh, Karan Kandhari's Sister Midnight nominated alongside Dev Patel's Monkey Man". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
7. ^ Ritman, Alex (25 September 2024). "'Santosh' to Represent U.K. in Oscars International Feature Race". Variety. Archived from the original on 25 September 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024.
8. ^ Ford, Lily (11 December 2024). "'Santosh' Director Sandhya Suri Says U.K.'s Oscars Pick "Was Too Horrific" to Be a Doc". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
9. ^ Joshi, Namrata (1 October 2024). "'There is a theatricality to policing'". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
10. ^ a b c Ramachandran, Naman (20 May 2024). "Cannes Title 'Santosh' First Clip Unveiled: 'Religious Intolerance, Casteism, Prejudice and Misogyny Are Sitting Heavily in the Atmosphere' (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on 28 August 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
11. ^ a b Ellwood, Gregory (7 January 2025). "How Sandhya Suri unlocked the key to 'Santosh'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
12. ^ Tabbara, Mona (14 December 2023). "Sandhya Suri's UK-backed 'Santosh' wraps production in India (exclusive)". Screen International. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
13. ^ Calnan, Ellie (20 May 2024). "'Santosh' producer on the freedom of filming in India". Screen International. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
14. ^ a b Dobson, Patricia (10 December 2024). "'Santosh' shows "a third way to be a woman in India", says director Sandhya Suri". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 25 January 2025. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
15. ^ a b c Calnan, Ellie (20 May 2024). "'Santosh' producer on the freedom of filming in India". Screen Daily. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
16. ^ Scott, Mathew (16 May 2024). "India, Back in the Palme d'Or Hunt After 30 Years, Hopes Cannes Will Help Producers See the Light". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 11 July 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
17. ^ "MAMI Mumbai Film Festival will open with Payal Kapadia's 'All We Imagine as Light'". Scroll.in. 9 October 2024. Archived from the original on 10 October 2024. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
18. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (10 December 2024). "'Santosh', UK's Hindi-Language Oscar Hopeful, Gets India Distribution Deal". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
19. ^ "Santosh: Oscars shortlisted film all set to release in India on THIS date". Daily News and Analysis. 20 December 2024. Archived from the original on 21 December 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
20. ^ a b Ramachandran, Naman (17 January 2025). "Oscar Contender 'Santosh's' India Release Delayed After Censorship Snag". Variety. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
21. ^ Gent, Whitney; Loehwing, Melanie (20 June 2024), "Police Brutality Without Race", Rupturing Rhetoric, University Press of Mississippi, pp. 221–238, ISBN 978-1-4968-5233-5, retrieved 27 March 2025
22. ^ Images Staff (27 March 2025). "Indian censor board blocks Santosh, a film exploring Islamophobia, casteism and police brutality". Images. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
23. ^ "Santosh director calls censor board's ban on film's release heartbreaking". India Today. 27 March 2025. Retrieved 27 March 2025.
24. ^ Petersen, Hannah Ellis (27 March 2025). "Internationally acclaimed film Santosh blocked in India over portrayal of police brutality". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
25. ^ "Santosh". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
26. ^ "Santosh". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
27. ^ a b Gyarkye, Lovia (24 May 2024). "'Santosh' Review: Two Women Form an Unlikely Alliance in a Gripping Indian Police Procedural". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
28. ^ a b c Chowdhury, Ayaan Paul (25 March 2025). "'Santosh' movie review: Sandhya Suri's layered procedural dissects the casual cruelties of power". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 28 April 2025. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
29. ^ a b c Adlakha, Siddhant (20 May 2024). "'Santosh' Review: A Dramatic Inquiry Into Images of Indian Policing". Variety. Archived from the original on 10 February 2025. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
30. ^ Romney, Jonathan (20 March 2025). "Santosh film review — riveting Indian police procedural puts woman on the front line". Financial Times. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
31. ^ Abele, Robert (10 January 2025). "Review: In 'Santosh,' a cop-corruption drama with shades of 'Serpico,' a woman rises in the ranks". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 9 April 2025. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
32. ^ Chowdhury, Ayaan Paul (25 March 2025). "'Santosh' movie review: Sandhya Suri's layered procedural dissects the casual cruelties of power". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 28 April 2025. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
33. ^ "Cannes 2024 line-up guide: Un Certain Regard titles". Screen International. 9 May 2024. Archived from the original on 11 May 2024. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
34. ^ Ntim, Zac (29 August 2024). "London Film Festival: Dea Kulumbegashvili's 'April' And Barry Keoghan Pic 'Bring Them Down' To Play In Competition". Deadline. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
35. ^ ""And Their Children After Them" wins the Golden Giraldillo at the Seville European Film Festival". Festival de Sevilla. 16 November 2024. Archived from the original on 22 December 2024. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
36. ^ Brzeski, Patrick (23 November 2024). "Camerimage: Gripping Danish Drama 'The Girl With the Needle' Wins Golden Frog". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 27 December 2024. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
37. ^ "フィルメックス授賞式：朝日新聞デジタル". The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). 1 December 2024. Archived from the original on 16 December 2024. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
38. ^ "第25回東京フィルメックス受賞結果". TOKYO FILMeX (in Japanese). 30 November 2024. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
39. ^ Lattanzio, Ryan (4 December 2024). "'Wicked' and Jon M. Chu Win Big with the National Board of Review — See the Full List". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 5 December 2024. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
40. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (5 November 2024). "European Film Awards: 'Emilia Pérez', 'The Room Next Door' Lead Nominations". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 6 November 2024.
41. ^ "BIFA 2024 Nominations Announced · BIFA · British Independent Film Awards". BIFA · British Independent Film Awards. 5 November 2024. Archived from the original on 31 December 2024. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
42. ^ Lo, Zabrina (10 January 2025). "Asian Film Awards 2025 nominations: Sean Lau gunning for Best Actor, South Korea's 'Exhuma' selected in 9 categories, and more". Tatler Asia. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
43. ^ "BAFTA 2025: All We Imagine As Light Nominated For Best Foreign Film; Indian Films Monkey Man, Santosh, Sister Midnight Lead Nominations". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 15 January 2025.

## External links

[edit]

* Santosh at IMDb
* Santosh at Rotten Tomatoes

* v
* t
* e

British submissions for Academy Award for Best International Feature Film

* Lost in Siberia (1991)
* Hedd Wyn (1993)
* Branwen (1995)
* Cameleon (1998)
* Solomon & Gaenor (1999)
* Do Not Go Gentle (2001)
* Eldra (2002)
* Hope Eternal (2008)
* Afghan Star (2009)
* Patagonia (2011)
* Metro Manila (2013)
* Little Happiness (2014)
* Under Milk Wood (2015)
* Under the Shadow (2016)
* My Pure Land (2017)
* I Am Not a Witch (2018)
* The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019)
* Dying to Divorce (2021)
* Winners (2022)
* The Zone of Interest (2023)
* Santosh (2024)

*[Ref.]: Reference(s)
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template