Santosh, the UK official entry in the Oscars’ international feature category and a BAFTA-nominated best debut feature, has been censored by India’s Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), reports UK daily Guardian.
The movie, Santosh, directed and scripted by British-Indian director Sandhya Suri, was filmed in India and features the local language of Hindi. According to the Guardian report, the CBFC denied certification due to its purported negative depiction of the police, basing their argument on its handling of entrenched misogyny, discrimination based on caste, as well as police brutality.
CBFC’s Decision Sparks Outrage on ‘Santosh’
Some of the CBFC board members, when reached by The Times of India (TOI), stated that they were not aware of the reasons for the rejection of the film. The film also touches upon sexual violence against lower-caste women and growing anti-Muslim sentiment in India, reports the Guardian.
Ramesh Patange, a writer and CBFC board member, said, “I attend movie reviews once a month, and my role is limited to that. Only the chairman is privy to the board’s day-to-day functioning.” Other board members refused to speak on the issue, saying only CBFC chairperson Prasoon Joshi could comment. Attempts to reach Joshi were in vain.
Filmmaker Calls Decision “Heartbreaking”
Sandhya Suri was disappointed by the decision, stating, “It was very important to me that the film is released in India so I did try to figure out if there was a way to make it work. But in the end it was just too difficult to make those cuts and have a film that still made sense, let alone stayed true to its vision.”
She also disclosed that the CBFC had asked for far-reaching cuts, and the list of such drastic cuts was so lengthy that it would be impossible to enact. “The list of cuts requested went on for a few pages and included issues over themes concerning police behavior and broader social issues, which are well ingrained in the film,” she informed the Guardian.
Industry Voices Criticize Censorship
Filmmaker and CBFC board member Vivek Agnihotri, in conversation with TOI from Puducherry, lashed out at the censorship. “In my personal capacity, not as a representative of any organisation, I feel deeply distressed that a society which considers itself the spiritual leader of the world is so insecure that it resorts to censorship. Only an insecure society censors art in any form Art, creativity, and literature form the soup that nourishes society. Without it, a society cannot grow,” he said.
Future of ‘Santosh’ in India Is Uncertain
Without CBFC clearance, the future of Santosh’s release in India is also uncertain. The controversy has once again sparked discussions on artistic freedom and the place of censorship in Indian cinema. CBFC chairperson Prasoon Joshi has so far made no official announcement on the ban.
Suri’s film, which has gained international recognition, may still reach Indian audiences through international streaming platforms, though an official confirmation is awaited.
