India is an important hub of films, with more than 100 films making their way into cinemas every year. However, the censor board in the country has been often called out for banning globally acclaimed films by Indian filmmakers, and the most recent target has been Sandhya Suri’s Santosh. The Hindi film, made in collaboration with producers from the West, made its Cannes debut. It became the UK’s official entry to the Oscars and secured a BAFTA nomination, making the country proud. But, its way to the Indian audience has been blocked for a controversial reason. Here’s why.
Why is Santosh banned in India?
Sandhya Suri’s Santosh is banned in India because it failed to get approval from the Censor Board Of Film Certification (CBFC) to release the film in India. The board has expressed its concerns over the negative portrayal of the police force in India. For those aware, Santosh is based on the story of a young widow, played by Shahana Goswami, who inherits the job of a police constable of her late husband and vows to solve the mystery around the murder of a young dalit girl. Sharing her disappointment over the decision, Sandhya Suri told The Guardian:
“It was surprising for all of us because I didn’t feel these issues were particularly new to Indian cinema or hadn’t been raised before by other films.”
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