Santosh

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Santosh

R

2024

2h 5m

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Popcornmeter

100%

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59 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

A government scheme sees newly widowed Santosh inherit her husband’s job as a police constable in the rural badlands of Northern India. When a lowcaste girl is murdered, Santosh is pulled into the investigation by charismatic feminist inspector Sharma.

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Critics Consensus

Shahana Goswami bristles with unforgettable intensity in Santosh, a nervy procedural that asks the hard questions about a culture's social hierarchy.

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Bedatri D. Choudhury

Sight & Sound

Nov 5

It’s a broad sweep of ideas, but when you set out to make a film on the police, you must address systemic corruption. Suri largely succeeds.

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Jonathan Romney

Financial Times

Mar 24

5/5

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.

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

Mar 22

4/5

A tough, sinewy, satisfying film.

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Ishmeet Nagpal

Common Sense Media

Sep 29

4/5

'Santosh" doesn't offer hope or liberation, instead leaving viewers with a sense of burning outrage at the inequities shown.

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Filipe Freitas

Always Good Movies

Jul 23

4/5

The main character initially jubilates with her desire for freedom, only to confront the deeply embedded social ills of modern India: a rigid caste system, the demonization of Muslims, femicide, systemic corruption, and toxic patriarchy.

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Anna Hoang

Boston Hassle

Jul 13

3/5

The core of a good movie is in here, but Santosh feeling like she’s being passed through makes it feel like we are watching a ghost of someone, with only a small glimpse of life revealed at the end to make it feel like we missed out on a lot.

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Susan

01/11/2025

This is a brilliant film, enlightening subtle, and disturbing, with an amazing performance by the lead actress, Shahana Goswami. I attended a matinee performance on Friday and the theater was empty. This film deserves to be experienced by everyone!

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Ulhas

@Ulhas Feb 3

Santosh Movie I didn’t like this movie at all. I found it very slow and confusing, and I couldn’t understand what the movie was trying to say. The story did not keep my interest, and the characters did not feel engaging to me. For me, this movie was not suitable and not enjoyable. I would not recommend it to anyone. If you have time try watch something else

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Peter C

@Binara Jan 12

Subtitles tiny and white on white. Impossible to read.

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Rangga P

@Ranggasaurus Dec 11

The film has a unique point of view about the role of women in the Indian police force. The problems within the police system seem similar to what we see in Indonesia. Women still don’t get an equal place with men in professional settings. The film feels bland at the beginning. The plot only starts to get interesting when Devinka’s body is found and placed on the road in front of the police station by her parents as a protest against the slow police response. One thing that felt strange to me is how Saleem never goes through a proper process to confirm whether he is the real suspect. He immediately faces torture during the interrogation about his motive. This part doesn’t sit right with me.

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Vince Q.

@Vincedeq Nov 3

Indian film built in the emerging cinema verité style of Mumbai production features actress Shahana Goswami with Sandhya Suri directing. Fascinating story about a female investigator in a small village in the rural north of the country. The protagonist not only has to face societal taboo regarding women’s roles, but also overcome ingrained departmental malaise. Some small technical issues, but the locations contribute to the film’s genuine voice and make it worth the watch.

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Evan C

Jul 20

A bit late to this, but #Santosh is an incredibly eye-opening look at caste, police corruption & sexual abuse in rural India. Its deliberate pace & intermittent brutality can be a lot. But Shahana Goswami is such a compelling lead, deftly guiding us through this layered mystery.

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Sandhya Suri

Director

Shahana Goswami

Santosh

Sunita Rajwar

Sharma

Nawal Shukla

Inspecteur Thakur

Pratibha Awasthi

Priya

Prashant Kumar

Inspecteur Mundi

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Synopsis

A government scheme sees newly widowed Santosh inherit her husband’s job as a police constable in the rural badlands of Northern India. When a lowcaste girl is murdered, Santosh is pulled into the investigation by charismatic feminist inspector Sharma.

Director: Sandhya Suri
Producer: Mike Goodridge, James Bowsher, Balthazar de Ganay, Alan McAlex
Screenwriter: Sandhya Suri
Distributor: Metrograph Pictures
Production Co: Haut et Court, Good Chaos, Razor Film Produktion GmbH
Rating: R (Violent Content|Some Language)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: Hindi
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 27, 2024, Limited
Runtime: 2h 5m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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