Waterford Film For All presents Santosh (2024)

Waterford Film For All presents Santosh from acclaimed director Sandhya Suri

In rural India, 28-year-old Santosh avails of a scheme to inherit her late husband’s job as a police officer. A diligent worker, she is taken under the wing of an older officer while investigating a young woman’s murder. The investigation reveals disturbing truths about class divides, as well as the troubling lengths Santosh’s colleagues will go to to find a culprit.

This feature debut from the British-Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri is a sharp, probing study of police corruption and deep-rooted social tensions in modern India. Led by an impressively restrained and nuanced central performance from Sahana Goswami, Santosh boldly sets itself apart from other police procedurals through its richly-drawn setting, themes and characters.

Festivals
Cannes Film Festival 2024
Dublin International Film Festival 2025

Awards
Asian Film Awards – Best Actress (Shahana Goswami) and Best New Director (Sandhya Suri)
British Independent Film Awards – Best Screenplay (Sandhya Suri)

access> CINEMA February SCREENING DAY 2025 – 87% from 15 ratings

Reviews
“A phenomenal achievement… a punchy, muscular Hindi-language police procedural.” ★★★★★ – Wendy Ide, The Observer

“This is a film about how violence and corruption can become so commonplace that they barely even register, and how quickly a regular person like Santosh can become part of the engine of dehumanization.” – Ross McIndoe, Slant Magazine