The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has blocked the release of British-Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri’s movie Santosh, citing concerns over its portrayal of misogyny, Islamophobia, and violence within the Indian police force.
The internationally acclaimed film Santosh premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last year but the Indian censor board has stopped it from release in the country.
Santosh, which has won several awards at international film festivals, revolves around a young widow who joins the police force and investigates the murder of a young Dalit girl.
The film, starring Shahana Goswami and Sunita Rajwar, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival to widespread acclaim and was the UK’s official entry for the 2025 Oscars in the International Feature category. Santosh was also nominated for a BAFTA for Best Debut Feature this year.
Additionally, the film’s lead, Shahana Goswami, won the Best Actress award at the Asian Film Awards.
Following the CBFC’s decision to block the release of Santosh in India, director Sandhya Suri expressed her disappointment, calling the order “heartbreaking.”
“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,” film’s director Sandhya Suri told the British daily The Guardian.
According to the British-Indian filmmaker, the censor board suggested multiple cuts spanning several pages. Most of these edits focused on concerns related to police conduct and broader societal issues.
The film is an international co-production of the UK, India, France, and Germany.
