Shahana Goswami on her film Santosh’s Indian theatrical roadblock: It’s a shame
The Sandhya Suri directorial stars Shahana Goswami as a widow who joins police and uncovers systemic discrimination while investigating a Dalit girl’s murder
Actor Shahana Goswami is extremely disheartened by the CBFC’s decision to block the theatrical release of Santosh in India. Despite earning international acclaim and being the UK’s official entry for the 97th Academy Awards, the Sandhya Suri-directed film has hit a roadblock in its home country due to censorship demands.
The 38-year-old finds it particularly disappointing since the film’s story is deeply rooted in India. “It makes me feel very sad. It’s upsetting that audiences here — where the film is set — won’t get to see it. The fact that Santosh has been appreciated at film festivals, even in India, makes it even more unfortunate. It’s a shame that it will not have a theatrical release.”
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Santosh, which premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in 2024, is already available online for Indian viewers. However, the team had hoped for a broader theatrical release, which now seems unlikely unless a resolution is reached.
“The censor board has given us a list of changes they require for the film to release, but as a team, we don’t agree with the cuts,” says Shahana.
While she refrains from specifying the CBFC’s objections, reports indicate that the board has raised concerns over the film’s depiction of Islamophobia, misogyny and violence within the Indian police force.
