New Delhi:
British-Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri’s film ‘Santosh’, which was sent by UK for the Oscar Awards and also a shortlist, will no longer be released in India. The Censor Board (CBFC) has banned the release of the film. The film was appreciated by critics, but the board is worried that it promotes a negative attitude towards women, Islamophobia and violence in police force, which can negatively impact society.
The film ‘Santosh’ is based on the story of a woman from North India, who joins the police service after the death of her husband. He is investigated in the case of murder of a Dalit girl. Sensitive issues like casteism and sexual violence have also been raised in the film. Shahana Goswami, who is in the lead role in the film, said that the censor board has demanded to install cuts in many parts of the film, including scenes related to police force and other social issues. He and his team do not agree with these changes, and due to this the film is not being released in India.
The film’s writer and director Sandhya Suri described this decision as disappointing and heartbreaking. He said that the issues raised in the film have been shown earlier in Indian cinema. According to him, this film is not sensational, but it presents another party of the social fabric of the country. Sandhya believes that violence has not been glorified in the film and it highlights the problems of society.
Significantly, Santosh was earlier premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where it was highly appreciated. Apart from this, Shahana Goswami also received the Best Actress Award at the Asian Film Awards.