Santosh

Recently refused release in India due to objections to its portrayal of the country’s police force, and the institutionalised misogyny and Islamophobia therein, as well as the preferential treatment based on caste, the debut fiction feature from documentarian Sandhya Suri sees the titular rural widow (Shahana Goswami) offered the position of police officer previously held by her husband, killed in the line of duty. With no other financial options available, she takes on the role, and is soon embroiled in a case involving a local young girl found raped and murdered. Senior Inspector Geeta Sharma (Sunita Rajwar) is assigned to the controversial case, and takes the rookie under her wing. As the two work to see justice meted out, the harsh realities of endemic compromise and corruption in the force lead Santosh to reevaluate her hopes for her new life.