Unlike its title there isn’t much to cheer here, director Sandhya Suri presents a grim scenario dealing with various burning topics like police brutality, the everyday struggles of the marginalized sections and the failures of our justice system among others. The scenes of police brutality and the misuse of power are very raw in nature, it isn’t surprising that Santhosh has made both the censor board and the government uncomfortable

• Starcast: Shahana Goswami, Sunita Rajwar and others
• Genre: Crime drama
• Director and writer: Sandhya Suri
• Producers: Mike Godridge, James Bowsher etc
• Production Companies: BBC Film, Good Chaos etc
• Cinematography: Lennert Hillege
• Running time: 2 hours and 8 minutes

Sandhya Suri’s Santhosh has been through many hurdles due to its raw depiction of social issues raising uncomfortable questions. The censor board has blocked Santhosh release date due to the movie’s tone, unlike most mainstream masala films with cops Santhosh examines the misuse of power by the cops, this includes custodial torture. The movie also takes the burning topics of islamophobia and casteism head on. However the hurdles created by the censor board hasn’t stopped Sandhya Suri from taking the movie to various film festivals, this includes the 77th Cannes Film Festival and MAMI Mumbai Film festival among others. After seeing the movie it’s very clear on why the movie has rattled so many.

Santhosh primarily focuses on the journey of Shabana Goswami’s Santhosh Saini. Santhosh had lost her constable husband during a riot. The in-laws of Santhosh have certain issues with her due to a supposed ill behavior. The pension of her husband isn’t substantial enough, additionally Santhosh could also lose her husband’s quatre. Santhosh is left with no other option other than to join the police force, this happens due to a government scheme. As a police constable and a women Santhosh soon becomes aware of the numerous biases and the discriminatory practices within the department. Things take a major turn when a girl from a lower spectrum of society is raped and murdered. A new officer Geeta Sharma played by Sunita Jarwar takes charge of the case. This is the story in brief.

A strong aspect of Santhosh is the delicate balancing of the numerous issues addressed by the movie. At no point the movie feels like an overstuffed menu, this is because of the taught writing and direction. There is a seamlessness in the flow of proceedings.

Some of the powerful scenes in Santhosh include the police being more concerned with installing so called moral and cultural values in young couples through threats or taking bribes. There is another hugely poignant portion where the police turn a blind eye to the sufferings of the lower strata. As a female constable Santhosh herself is faced with numerous instances of power hierarchy. For example in the one of the earlier scenes she is seen taking an officer’s puppy for a walk, on the surface it may appear as a simple moment but it brings forth a lack of agency due to her position along with the gender aspect.

Through the character of Santhosh Sandhya Suri presents a hard hitting picture on what it means to be a poor woman. The reason for Santhosh joining the department is due to the adverse circumstances around her. As a result she suppresses her frustrations knowing very well that her opinions carry little weight in this fractured system.

Santhosh’s only solace is her equation with Sunita Rajwar’s Geeta Sharma. Geeta becomes an unlikely mentor for Santhosh. There is a genuine empathy that Geeta feels for Santhosh being a woman and a police official herself. The scenes of friendship and compassion between them give the movie some of its best moments. Sunita Rajwar best known for her role of a nosy neighbor in Gullak web series shows a vastly different side of her. She does a very good job in balancing the stern attitude with moments of genuine compassion. In the titular character Shahana Goswami does a very good job in portraying the different facets of her role. The actress is particularly good in portraying emotions just through body language.

Talking about the aspect of islamophobia this comes out strongly through the repeated torture of a Muslim man. There is a very chilling scene involving a guy called Saleem he is repeatedly beaten and thrashed forcing him to confess for a crime he hasn’t committed. Even Santhosh ends up partaking in the brutality, its connected to her husband’s death. This Muslim man is a soft target as its easier to pin the blame on a minority community rather than going against the deeply entranced power structure. In these portions the aspect of religious prejudice comes out in an hard hitting manner.

The movie also benefits from the rugged atmospherics. The plot is set in a fictional state of Chirag Pradesh but in actuality parallels can be drawn to any part of India where the upper caste dominate the socio political landscape. The cinematography by Lennert Hillege is of the highest order too, a specific mention must be made of the intense close up shots reflecting the inner anguish faced by Santhosh. This comes out starkly in the portions of Santhosh brooding in her staff quatres or being stranded in the middle of the road. It reflects the moral crossroads which Santhosh finds herself in. The sound design of Nikola Medic, Bruno Tarriere etc also adds to the dramatic element.