Santosh (2025) — A Film That Refuses to Stay Silent

Posted on / by tamilmvmob /

Santosh (2025) — A Film That Refuses to Stay Silent

Overview

Plot & Themes

  • The film is set in rural North India and follows Santosh, a young widow. After her husband dies in a riot, she gets his job in the police force through a “compassionate appointment” scheme. The New Indian Express+2India Today+2

  • What begins as symbolic becomes real and challenging when she is assigned to investigate the rape and murder of a Dalit teenager. This case forces her to deal not only with the crime but also with entrenched prejudice, systemic corruption, caste discrimination, gender bias, and the power structures in society. India Today+2Indiatimes+2

  • Santosh must navigate between her moral responsibility, the expectations placed upon her, and the institutional pressures that resist accountability. The Guardian+2The Daily Jagran+2

Festival & Acclaim

  • Santosh premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival, 2024. Indiatimes+2The Economic Times+2

  • It was chosen as the UK’s official submission for the Best International Feature Film category at the Oscars. Indiatimes+1

  • The film has also received a nomination at the BAFTA awards in the category of Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer. The Daily Jagran+2Indiatimes+2

Censorship & Release Issues in India

  • The film was initially intended for theatrical release in India around 10 January 2025. The New Indian Express+2The Economic Times+2

  • However, it ran into trouble with the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). The board demanded extensive cuts, citing concerns relating to its depiction of police misconduct, casteism, misogyny, systemic prejudice, and other sensitive issues. The Economic Times+3India Today+3Indiatimes+3

  • The filmmakers stated that making those edits would change the film too much, compromising its core message and integrity. Because of this, they decided against releasing it theatrically in India. India Today+1

OTT Release

Why It Matters

  1. Socially Relevant Themes
    Santosh deals with caste discrimination, gender injustice, and the complex relationship between power and societal norms. These are important and often underrepresented themes in mainstream Indian cinema. The Daily Jagran+1

  2. Artistic Integrity vs Censorship
    The film brings up a debate: when should art be altered to satisfy censorship, and when would doing so betray what the filmmaker wants to say? Santosh has become a case in point for creative freedom. The Times of India+2India Today+2

  3. Global Reception, Local Resistance
    That it was appreciated internationally (Cannes, Oscars shortlist, BAFTA) but blocked domestically underscores tensions between what global audiences and Indian regulatory bodies are willing to accept. Indiatimes+1

  4. OTT as a Path Forward
    The move to OTT release shows how streaming platforms are becoming an important avenue for films that struggle with censorship or other hurdles in traditional theatrical distribution. It allows access, though possibly narrower than a broad theatrical run.

Conclusion

Santosh is more than just a movie—it’s a statement. It challenges social hierarchies, questions institutionalized power, and highlights voices usually ignored. The censorship battle it faced only makes its eventual OTT release more significant: it’s a way of ensuring stories that matter reach audiences.

If you like, I can also pull up some reviews or critical responses from when Santosh showed at festivals, to give you a sense of how people reacted. Do you want that?

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