The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) stalled the release of Shahana Goswani’s film Santosh in India and demanded extensive cuts to it. For the unawares, the film, which deals with themes of caste discrimination, police brutality, sexual violence, and Islamophobia, was the UK’s official entry to Oscars 2025.
According to several media reports, the CBFC has blocked the release of the film in India over concerns about its portrayal of Islamophobia, misogyny, and violence in the Indian police force.
While the Censor Board has demanded several cuts, the makers of the film have reportedly refused to make alterations.
Shahana Gosawmi reacts to CBFC’s decision
Reacting to CBFC’s decision, Shahana told India Today, “We 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.”
The actress added, “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.”
Director says ‘cuts are impossible to implement’
A report in The Guardian stated that the film’s writer and director Sandhya Suri described the Censor Board’s decision as ‘disappointing and heartbreaking’. She also said that the cuts are ‘impossible’ to implement.
“It was important to me that the film is released in India so I did try to figure out if there was a way to make it work. But in the end it was just too difficult to make those cuts and have a film that still made sense, let alone stayed true to its vision. I don’t feel my film glorifies violence in a way that many other films focusing on the police have done. There’s nothing sensationalist about it,” she added.
About Santosh
Santosh is set in North India. It revolves around the life of a young widow, played by Shahana, who joins the police force and takes on the investigation of a young Dalit girl’s murder. The film also delves into the issue of sexual violence in India, especially against lower-caste women, while also addressing the growing wave of anti-Muslim prejudice in the country.
Santosh premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and was selected as the UK’s official entry for the Oscars’ International Feature category. This year, it earned a BAFTA nomination for Best Debut Feature and received glowing reviews. Shahana also won Best Actress at the Asian Film Awards for her performance in the film.
Santosh is available to watch on the OTT platform MUBI in India.
