Sandhya Suri’s feature debut, Santosh, is a muscular Hindi-language police procedural set in rural north India. Elegantly scripted by the British-Indian former documentary maker, the film combines gripping storytelling with a sharp awareness of modern India’s darker realities: police corruption and brutality, entrenched sexism, caste prejudice and anti-Muslim sentiment. 

The film follows its newly widowed protagonist, Santosh (Shahana Goswami), who is offered her late husband’s police job through a government scheme. The role grants her independence from her oppressive in-laws and fosters a growing sense of self-worth. Calm, diligent and serious, she proves naturally suited to the work.

When the murder of a Dalit girl threatens to inflame local tensions, veteran officer Geeta (Sunita Rajwar) recruits Santosh as her deputy. It soon becomes clear this promotion is a dubious honour. Geeta’s charisma and ruthlessness command respect, but her methods and motives are troublingly opaque. Through Goswami’s quietly intelligent performance, the film suggests that a case being closed does not necessarily mean justice has been served.

Selected as the UK’s submission for the international Oscar category, Santosh has yet to be released in India due to censorship issues. 

“As well as working rivetingly as a procedural thriller and a psychological study, Santosh has a hard, documentary-like edge, exploring Indian social phenomena with intense analytical focus.” Financial Times