Movie Review: 'Santosh'

Progress in India has been made in accepting women’s presence in society, but misogyny is still rampant in some areas. Santosh (Shahana Goswami) has just lost her beloved husband in a work-related incident. He was serving as a police officer in Nehrat, when, during a riot, he was killed by a rock that struck his head.

His widow has few options. Her mother-in-law hates her as she feels Santosh took advantage of her son. She can’t move in with them. The flat she shared with her husband is government owned and is needed by another family, so she must move out. The husband was only a policeman for a short time so her widow’s pension will be small.

There is a curious Indian law which would allow Santosh to inherit her husband’s position as a policeman thereby allowing her to keep his salary while also earning her widows pension. With few other options, she accepts the offer and begins her training. Geeta (Sunita Rajwar) is her new boss – a woman aware of the female place in both society and law enforcement. Another unusual social practice Santosh must face is the caste system, something she must deal with in her first assignment.

A young girl was found drowned in the bottom of a well in a remote village. Geeta is too busy to investigate so sends Santosh in her place. Examination of the body shows the girl had been raped and beaten before being tossed into the well. The town leaders are not too interested in the case as the girl was a member of an inferior caste.

The residents are irate at the girl’s death and the resulting pollution of the well – their closest source of drinking water. The only lead Santosh has is a young boy who was last seen with the victim. As he has since disappeared, she investigates other possible culprits. Among them are the village civic leaders and members of the local police force. The latter have a history of being accused of police brutality.

Through her diligent questioning of the villagers, Santosh finds that the young suspect has fled to Nehrat. Geeta can join Santosh in traveling north to look for him. Their careful snooping around finally brings them face to face with the boy. He is arrested and his interrogation begins. He insists at the time of the rape/murder he was visiting in Mumbai. With little proof of his whereabouts, he is tortured and beaten. Geeta is skilled at this form of inquiry and joins in, eventually encouraging Santosh to participate.

She is very hesitant but eventually begins brutally attacking the young boy with a piece of wood, even as he screams his innocence – “I was in Mumbai, not a home.” Santosh suddenly stops and looks at the boy covered in his own blood, writhing in pain on the ground. The claims of police brutality are true, and she has suddenly become a part of it. She and the others walk away from the lifeless body. It’s only when Santosh examines the boy’s possessions that she discovers the horrifying mistake she has made, one with only one way for her to correct.

Directed by Sandhya Suri (Credits: The Field, I For India) Santosh runs two hours and is a “should see” for a sensitively created look into the sometimes-brutal culture of India. The artists creating this story are very skilled in their art. This film premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival and will be submitted to the 97th Academy Awards in the Best International Film category.