Santosh is a Hindi-language police procedural crime drama film written and directed by Sandhya Suri. The film is an international co-production with collaborations from the UK, India, Germany, and France. In today’s Santosh film review and streaming guide blog, we’ll provide a review of the film and the streaming platforms on which it can be viewed.
Plot And Theme
The film’s story revolves around Santosh Saini (Shahana Goswami), who is in distress after the death of her husband, played by Mr. Anuj Yadav. She then inherits her deceased husband’s police constable job under a government scheme.
The story takes a turn when a case of murder and rape of a Dalit girl comes to light in a village in Northern India. Santosh and her team are tasked with investigating the case. The film also stars Sunita Rajwar, who plays Inspector Geeta Sharma.
The film openly exposes issues such as caste violence, police corruption, sexism, and social inequality.
Important Highlights Of The Film
Direction And Writing
Sandhya Suri, who comes from a documentary background, has written and directed this film. However, she has presented it well in a fictionalized manner.
Cast Performances
Shahana Goswami delivers a grounded and believable performance as Santosh, truly demonstrating her acting talent.
Sunita Rajwar’s role as Inspector Geeta Sharma is significant, and she does complete justice to it.
Cinematography And Technicals
Lennert Hillege has captured the footage well, giving Santosh a very authentic rural perspective. The film is edited by Maxime Pozzi-Garcia, and music by Luisa Gerstein.
Recognition & Festivals
The film had its world premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival (May 20, 2024) in the Un Certain Regard section.
It was selected as the UK’s entry for the 2025 Oscars.
The National Board of Review included it among the top 5 international films of 2024.
Censorship / Blocking in India
Santosh This raises the most controversial issue. The Censor Board (CBFC) in India has refused to release the film, especially for its portrayal of the police and social issues.
The censor board demanded extensive edits for the film, but the director stated that the edits were so extensive that the integrity of the story would be at risk.
Review & Critique
Roger Ebert’s review stated that the film openly addresses issues—racism, police brutality, and sexism—but sometimes its impact remains “surface-level.”
The Guardian praised it as a “gripping police procedural about the murky side of modern India.”
The film has a 100% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes, with 58 reviews. Meaning it received a mostly positive rating from critics.
Positive Aspects: Bringing out real issues, strong acting by the actors, atmospheric storytelling.
Weaknesses: The pacing sometimes feels lame, some scenes lack subtlety.
Currently, “Santosh” has not yet received a wide theatrical or OTT release in India, as it has been blocked by the CBFC. However, recent reports suggest that the film will be streaming on Lionsgate Play from October 17th.
Conclusion
Santosh is a bold, sensitive, and thought-provoking film that perfectly portrays major social issues like casteism, police corruption, and gender discrimination. Shahana Goswami’s acting and Sandhya Suri’s direction are the film’s biggest plus points.
If you enjoy watching genre films like this, you should definitely watch it. Let us know what you thought of our Santosh film Review And Streaming Guide blog.
