Synopsis
Santosh | 2024 | 15 | Dir. Sandhya Suri | India, UK | IMDb 7.1 | Subtitled | 128 mins
Santosh is the striking debut feature film from British Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri. She began her career making documentaries and it was during her research into sexual violence against women in India that she formed the idea this story would be better explored in a fictional feature film, albeit one drawn from actual case studies.
Santosh is the name of a young woman happily married to a police constable in a remote and rural region of Northern India where there is division and tension within the surrounding impoverished communities. She is devastated when her husband is killed in a local riot and finds herself cruelly ostracised by her in-laws. When she herself is offered a job as a police constable in the force as part a Government Scheme known as ‘Compassionate Appointment’, she accepts, seeing it as a ray of hope and a path to independence.
Santosh acquits herself well in her position as a police officer in a system she soon learns is rife with corruption, misogyny, caste prejudice and Islamophobia. She is quickly assigned to a high-profile murder case in which a young girl from a low caste has been found dead in a village well. In this new role she finds herself under the wing of the experienced senior policewoman Geeta Sharma (played by Sunita Rajwar), who is only too well aware of the prejudices and difficulties women face in Indian society and the force, but knows how to ‘play the game’.
However, Geeta’s methods begin to unsettle Santosh and trouble her conscience, and ultimately, she is drawn in to a situation which shocks and makes her question everything. She becomes determined to seek the truth which leads her further into the corrupt societal system that is mirrored in the police force, and on a path that puts her in potential personal danger but also towards atonement.
This gripping and gritty tale premiered at Cannes in 2024 and was nominated in the "Prix un Certain Regard" category. It has since received widespread acclaim and was the UK’s submission for Best International Feature Film at the 2025 Oscars. However, it has found difficulty in receiving distribution rights in India owing to its subject matter.
Santosh, the name of the title character, is essentially gender-neutral in India, although perhaps more common among males, and in Sanskrit has the meaning of ‘satisfaction’ or ‘happiness’. Is this what she is searching for, and has she or will she find it? Join us on 15 March 2027 to follow Santosh on her personal journey and find out.
Additional Info
· Screen 1
· Doors open 7pm (or when Odeon staff permit entry)
· Welcome from our chair Paula Stott @ 7.30pm
· Free parking after 6pm if you DISPLAY an orange parking voucher, available from Odeon staff
· Unreserved seating
· We invite every viewer to score the film afterwards using a token system in the lobby
Location
Harrogate Film Society, Harrogate Odeon, East Parade, Harrogate, HG1 5LB
Booking Link
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Tickets
