Santosh Movie Blocked: Okay, so here’s the scoop. Santosh, this Indian film that’s been blowing up internationally for tackling caste, misogyny, and Islamophobia, just got completely shut down in India. Like, nope. Not happening. The censors straight-up refused to let it release.
Why? They say it makes the police look bad. But, plot twist—the same script was cleared for filming earlier. Now that it’s all done and dusted, suddenly, it’s a problem?
British-Pakistani actor Riz Ahmed isn’t having it. He shared a report about it on his Instagram story and basically told everyone, “Go see the movie they don’t want you to.” And honestly, money cannot buy of this kind of marketing.
So, why people so much talking about this film? Let’s break it down. Let’s break it down.
A Story Too Real for Censors?
Santosh is directed by British-Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri. It follows a young widow who joins the police force in a fictional North Indian town. She ends up investigating the murder of a Dalit girl, and, well, things get dark real fast. Police brutality, caste discrimination, and systemic oppression—it’s all in there, raw and unfiltered.
The film also touches on the growing anti-Muslim sentiment in India, which… let’s just say isn’t exactly a light topic these days.
Internationally, though? People love it. It premiered at Cannes, got picked as the UK’s official Oscar submission, snagged a BAFTA nomination, and even won lead actress Shahana Goswami the Best Actress award at the Asian Film Awards.
But Indian audiences? Probably won’t see it anytime soon. The CBFC isn’t budging, and once they say no, there’s no formal appeals process. Only legal battles, which, let’s be real, can take years.
What’s the Big Deal?
So, why did the CBFC freak out over Santosh? They claim it gives the police a “negative portrayal.” Which is kind of ironic, considering Bollywood has been making cop movies for decades—ones where officers literally execute bad guys in ‘heroic’ slow motion.
But here’s the difference: Santosh doesn’t have a hero. It’s not your typical Bollywood action flick where the cop magically fixes everything with a dramatic monologue. Instead, it feels uncomfortably real. Like, documentary-style real. And maybe that’s the problem.
Suri herself was shocked. She told The Guardian, “I didn’t feel that these issues were particularly new to Indian cinema or hadn’t been raised before by other films.” Fair point. Police brutality and caste violence have been addressed in movies before—so why this one?
Well, some think it’s because the film doesn’t glorify power. It just presents things as they are. And sometimes, the truth makes people uncomfortable.
The Bigger Picture
This whole thing is happening at a time when India’s cultural space is under a microscope. Films that push anti-Muslim or anti-Pakistan narratives? No problem. But comedians like Kunal Kamra? Silenced. And now, Santosh movie blocked from release? Not surprising.
The double standard is hard to ignore. And the more these things happen, the more it feels like anything that questions the system is getting shut down.
For now, Suri isn’t giving up. She knows how important this film is, especially for the communities it represents. “It’s vitally important for people affected by these issues to see it,” she said.
But whether Indian audiences will actually get that chance? That’s the million-dollar question.
