Santosh (15) |Close-Up Film Review
Dir: Sandhya Suri, UK/France/Germany 2024, 128 mins.
Cast: Shahana Goswami, Sunita Rajwar
Hindi, English subtitles
Review by Carlie Newman
When the husband of Santosh (Shahana Goswami) dies, Santosh, who has lost her Police Constable husband, her government owned home and source of income, is pleased to accept the role of a Police Constable under a government scheme of ‘compassionate appointment’ whereby widows can take up their deceased husband’s jobs. She welcomes the opportunity to get away from her disapproving in-laws and be in charge of her own life.
Her first major job is to investigate the rape and murder of a young Dalit girl (the lowest caste) who has been discovered down a well. Encouraged to pursue her line of inquiry by her charismatic senior officer, Geeta (Sunita Rajwar), she chases after the suspected perpetrator. All is not as it seems, however, and Santosh is unable to prevent the miscarriage of justice that she suspects.
There are two outstanding performances: Goswami is mesmerizing in her sensitive and understated performance, while Raiwar is superb in her portrayal of the veteran officer who mixes with the lads and directs her younger colleague in their police investigation.
With her own excellent script, lovely cinematography and exceptional concentration on detail, director Sandhya Suri gives us a deep and satisfying portrayal of a particular slice of life in India. It feels so real – more like a documentary. Highly recommended!
