Santosh

"There are two kinds of untouchables; those you don't want to touch, and those who can't be touched."

When a police officer is killed, his wife - Santosh - is trained to take his place. It is merely a ceremonial act in a police station in rural Northern India that is overwhelmingly male and traditional. Then a girl is raped, tortured, and her body dumped in a public square. The brazen crime isn't even investigated. Since the girl is from a poor family who can't read, they are ignored. It is then that something inside Santosh is triggered. Her task seems far from impossible, and yet public pressure builds and doors open that she never expected.

"The girl wore jeans and baited him."

The underground of India is revealed in this tense, observant, heart twisting, and powerful film. There is a glimpse of the justice system that prioritizes convictions by any means and ignores the real victims and perps. The film first surfaced at Cannes, and I saw it with director Sandhya Suri at the Toronto International Film Festival. It is all very moving. The film's spectacular imagery stays with me; the earrings of the dead girl, her face in the mirror, a lovely couple together, a girl selling biscuits, and a passing train.

The film was more like a documentary type. As watching from the beginning I felt it somewhat similar to ayushman khurana movie article 15. The film basically deals with casteism prevailed in India, the poor village conditions, police department attitude towards the people and all. The film as a whole doesn't contain any bgm or elevation scenes. It depicts how a raw investigation is done. At the end it gives us the reality that we cannot change the social evils present in our society. We should accept the reality. We won't get that hope that was given in the 'Article 15' movie from this movie santhosh. The performance of all actors were good.

What an honor to be the first to write the review here!

I just saw this movie at the Sarajevo Film Festival, and I was immersed in it from the 1st moment. It's huge - bravo Sandhya Suri, bravo all the cast! What a realistic and technically flawless movie.

Very complex system (and the situation of misogyny) in India is neither easy to understand nor describe - Sandhya Suri did it very well. She couldn't let go the shocking events and painfully nonsensical injustices felt very deeply and obviously researched thoroughly - and she managed to portray it all here!

Thank you for this movie, on behalf of all the oppressed.

Big love and respect!

While it's narrative and structure does feel a bit thin, no doubt Sandhya Suri has an ambitious take on the corruption of Indian's police system, the caste system and the political issues surrounding in Indian.

Shot throughly well and provided with good production design, the direction maintains a good sense of atmosphere on approaching the narrative and the characters surrounding the environment. Alongside with a strong performance from Shaman Goswami. As a cop movie, the narrative does offer some interesting aspects but it does weaken as some of the average cliche approaches and the weak character developments don't really hold a very strong grasp.

Since the movie isn't a typical Bollywood story and made internationally, some of the approaches felt a bit too dense and biased that doesn't detract certain serious moments as the filmmaker would have wanted. But still, despite it's flaws, I found myself appreciating the aspects of the movie and it being a solid cop drama.

Sandhya Suri's Santosh is not just a film-it's an experience. A searing, meticulously crafted drama, it explores power, gender, and caste violence with a rare blend of nuance and intensity. This is award-worthy cinema, driven by razor-sharp storytelling and top-tier performances.

The film follows a woman who, after her husband's death, is appointed as a police constable. What follows is an unflinching look at the systemic casual sexism within the force and the grim realities of caste-based violence. Suri's direction is exceptional, layering the narrative with biting satire and small but powerful details that add authenticity. Every frame serves a purpose, every moment feels earned.

I know for the fact that no one will appreciate this type of cinema in india, there are only a handful of films that has manage to blend social commentary with gripping storytelling as effectively as Santosh.

This is a cinematic art that should be praised.

I will go with 9/10 for this one.