CBFC blocks Shahana Goswami-starrer Santosh release, director reacts

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has posed a roadblock in the release of the critically acclaimed film `Santosh`. Directed by Sandhya Suri, the film was UK`s official entry for Oscars this year. The film sees Shahana Goswami play the role of a cop. 

CBFC demands extensive cuts

Reportedly, the CBFC has demanded a long list of cuts to the makers before giving it a green signal for release in India.  Reportedly, scenes of police brutality was not approved by the censor board. 

Directed by Sandhya Suri, the film stars Shahana Goswami as a driven young Hindu widow who inherits her husband`s job as a police constable thanks to a government scheme. She finds herself caught up in institutional corruption even as she warms to working with rough-edged veteran detective Inspector Sharma (Sunita Rajwar) on a brutal murder case involving a teenage girl from the lower caste Dalit community, as per The Hollywood Reporter.

Sandhya Suri reacts to CBFC demands

After CBFC decided to stall the release of Santosh in India, Sandhya Suri in an interview expressed her disappointment and called it heartbreaking. In an interview with The Guardian, she said, “It was surprising for all of us because I didn’t feel that these issues were particularly new to Indian cinema or hadn’t been raised before by other films.”

The filmmaker said that they received multiple cut suggestions spanning several pages. She said most of the cuts were related to police conduct and broader societal issues. The filmmaker said that she would fight the case in court and not make the cuts.

Shahana Goswami reacts to CBFC demands

Talking about the censor suggestions, Shahana Goswami told India Today, “The censor has given a list of changes they require for the film to release and we as a team are not in agreement with the cuts as they would change the film too much, and so it is in a deadlock where it probably won`t release theatrically in India.”

“It`s just sad that something that has gone through censor approval at the script level should require so many cuts and changes for it to be considered okay to release in India,” Goswami added.

The Sandhya Suri film also touches upon the themes of caste discrimination, police brutality, sexual violence, and Islamophobia.Also starring Sunita Rajwar alongside Shahana, the film had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section at the 77th Cannes Film Festival earlier in 2024. The film is available on the OTT platform MUBI in India.