Shahana Goswami expresses disappointment as Santosh’s release remains stalled after the CBFC objects to depiction of police violence and Islamophobia, and demands cuts
(From left) Sunita Rajwar and Shahana Goswami in Santosh. Pics/Getty Images, Instagram
Cannes, Oscars shortlist, BAFTA — Shahana Goswami’s Santosh has made its presence felt on several prestigious film platforms. Ironically, the one place the Indian co-production hasn’t reached is Indian theatres, courtesy the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). As we get on a call with Goswami, she is disillusioned by the cuts demanded by the CBFC. “It is the systemic reality right now. Is it right? I don’t think so. The CBFC is meant to be a board of certification, not of censorship,” she states.
Director Sandhya Suri’s Santosh tells the story of Goswami’s protagonist, a widow who steps into her late husband’s role of a police constable and becomes entangled in the investigation of a Dalit teenager’s rape and murder. After premièring at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in May 2024, it became Britain’s official entry for the 2025 Oscars and made it to the shortlist for the Best International Feature Film.
Director Sandhya Suri (C) with the lead actors at Cannes 2024 where Santosh premièred
Its global acclaim was in sharp contrast to its fate in India. The drama’s January 10 release was held up after it didn’t receive the CBFC’s clearance. In March, the release was stalled after the board reportedly expressed concerns over its depiction of Islamophobia, caste discrimination, and police violence, and demanded many cuts — a move that the makers disagreed with.
Goswami is disturbed by the censorship meted out to the film. “[The board] is only meant to dictate who should have access to the film or not; they should leave the choice to people to engage with [a film] based on its certification. So, in [its absence], there is a sense of disappointment.” She adds that those who have seen the movie, haven’t found it controversial. “It’s nothing that we haven’t known or seen before. So, we don’t know why it was problematic for the board. If there is more dissent on the matter, there may be a shift.”
The actor, who is looking forward to the India release of her Lionsgate Play show, Four Years Later, understands that in the current climate, it’s hard to tell stories that reflect today’s reality. But the self-confessed eternal optimist believes the tide will turn. “We live in a world right now where the sensitivities are very high. People take [matters] forward by filing FIRs and creating trouble for those who are making such shows or films. But I believe everything is cyclical. Moments like these will come to a head, and at some point, something will shift.”
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