Santosh ban in India: Producers reveal reason behind censor board decision

Shahana Goswami, the lead actress of the film 'Santosh', expressed her disappointment on Thursday over the movie not being screened in India

Internationally acclaimed film ‘Santosh’ which explores misogyny, caste bigotry, systemic corruption and Islamophobia in rural north India has been barred from screening in India by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

 

Actor Shahana Goswami revealed on Wednesday that the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) and the creators of Santosh, Britain’s official Oscars entry, are at odds over suggested edits. Her statement came just hours after the film was denied clearance for release in India.

 

The Times of India quoted Good Chaos, the UK producers of Santosh, in a statement, saying; “The Central Board of Film Certification of India saw ‘Santosh’ and asked that the filmmaker make considerable edits, which the team felt were impossible while retaining the essence of the film. Therefore there will be no theatrical release for the film in India in the foreseeable future.”

 

 

Shahana Goswami, daughter of economist and journalist Omkar Goswami and the lead actress of the film, expressed her deep disappointment on Thursday over the movie not being screened in India.

 

Goswami portrays Santosh, a woman who steps into her late husband’s role in the police force after he is killed in a riot. As she navigates her new position, she is soon confronted with the harrowing case of a young Dalit girl who has been raped and murdered. In the process, she must learn to stand her ground and survive within a deeply patriarchal system.

 

“I can only add that it’s really sad that a film that is about an aspect of our world, our reality, cannot be seen by the large cross-section of our people, despite the great response we’ve had whenever it’s shown in festivals in India,” Goswami was quoted as saying by the paper. 

   

 

 

Marking a historic first for a Hindi film for the UK, Santosh became the country’s official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards in March 2025. The Hindi-language film also earned a BAFTA nomination in February 2025 for ‘Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer’. 

 

Directed by British-Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri, Santosh premiered in the ‘Un Certain Regard’ section at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2024, making it her debut feature film.

 

The Guardian described the film as “an unflinching fictional portrayal of the murkier elements of the Indian police force, depicting deep-rooted misogyny, discrimination against Dalits – the lowest caste in India previously known as untouchables – and the normalisation of mistreatment and torture by police officers.”  

 

The film confronts the realities of sexual violence in India, especially against women from marginalised castes, while also shedding light on the growing wave of anti-Muslim sentiment in the country.