‘Santosh’: The British Film Exposes Deep Cracks in Indian Society Where Caste and Gender Oppression Collide

“Santosh,” directed by written and Sandhya Suri, is a Hindi crime drama featuring Shahana Goswami, Sunita Rajwar, Nawal Shukla, and Pratibha Awasthy. “Santosh” is not just a movie—it’s a punch to the gut, a quiet scream, and a mirror held up to the faces of those who look away, preoccupied with the ebbs and flows of their own small life. 

As Britain’s official Oscar entry for Best International Feature Film, this Hindi-language gem doesn’t offer easy answers or polished arcs. Instead, it gives us Santosh, a low-caste widow navigating a system designed to sidestep her, ignore her, take her for granted and ultimately crush her. But Santosh through her authentic observation of the corrupt system dares us to stay with her through every harrowing, gut-wrenching moment.

Told through her evocative and unflinching gaze, the film exposes the deep cracks in Indian society where caste and gender oppression collide. It doesn’t sugarcoat, it doesn’t preach—it simply lays bare a life lived in resistance. This raw honesty is what makes “Santosh” stand apart and what undoubtedly struck a chord with Oscar judges seeking stories that go beyond the surface.

Strengths of Santosh’s Perspective:

1. A Protagonist Who Won’t Let You Look Away

Santosh is not your typical hero. She’s not here to inspire you with her strength or charm you with her grit. She’s frail, exhausted, angry, and uncertain, but she keeps moving forward because there’s no other choice. Widowed in riots and dismissed by her own family, and in-laws, she joins the police force ( in her husband’s place), naively hoping to fight for justice. What she finds instead is a system as broken as the world outside it.

Through her eyes, we see the relentless humiliation of being a Dalit woman—a label that makes her and others like her less than human in the eyes of her male colleagues and society at large. Whether it’s her mother-in-law spitting venom on her “uncalled for widowhood” or her male colleagues offering her menial jobs or dismissing her existence, every interaction cuts deep into her psyche. But it’s Santosh’s quiet resilience, her refusal to break, that lingers long after the credits roll.

2. The Unforgiving Intersection of Caste and Gender

The film doesn’t just show oppression; it forces you to feel it. Through Santosh, we experience the suffocating weight of being at the bottom of every hierarchy. One scene, where a group of Dalit women is shooed away from a communal water source like stray animals, stays with you. Another, involving a teenage girl’s exploitation, probably witnessed by a girl-child leaves you sick to your stomach. 

Unlike broader takes on caste oppression seen in Article 15, Santosh drills down into the intersectionality of caste and gender. It’s this dual vulnerability that makes Santosh’s story so painful—and so necessary.

3. A Mentor Who’s as Broken as the System

One of the film’s most complex relationships is between Santosh and her senior officer—a hardened, cynical woman who’s learned to survive in a man’s world. She smokes, drinks, and doesn’t flinch in the face of violence, but her toughness hides deep scars.

The two women’s bond is layered, messy, and incomplete. There’s a moment where you wonder if the senior officer sees herself in Santosh, or if she’s just using her as a pawn. But there’s no neat resolution, no big emotional payoff. It’s frustrating, and it’s real.

4. Visuals That Hit You in the Soul

Santosh doesn’t rely on sweeping landscapes or overproduced beauty. The camera stays close—too close sometimes—making you feel like you’re in the room, breathing the same heavy air.

The sight of a ramshackle truck carrying a Dalit teenager’s lifeless body is more than an image; it’s an indictment. The vibrancy of village streets contrasts cruelly with the darkness that hangs over Santosh’s world. Every frame is a reminder of what she’s up against.

Santosh’s Final Stand

The film’s conclusion isn’t triumphant, but it’s powerful. Santosh sheds her uniform, tired of fighting a corrupt system from within. Instead, she chooses small acts of rebellion: leaving her gold hoops with a grieving mother, handing her nose stud  to a young girl (selling snacks on a train station) who deserves a chance and more. These gestures aren’t grand, but they mean everything.

It’s not a victory, but it’s a promise—that even in a world this broken, there are ways to push back. This bittersweet ending, where Santosh reclaims her agency without fanfare, is what makes her story unforgettable.

Flaws That Cut Both Ways

1. Unresolved Subplots

Not everything gets tied up neatly. Santosh’s strained relationship with her mother-in-law, who calls her a “witch” for her husband’s death, feels abandoned halfway. The mentor’s motives remain ambiguous, leaving you with more questions than answers. But maybe that’s the point—life doesn’t tie itself up in a bow, and neither does this film.

2. A Narrow Focus

While the personal lens makes the story intimate, it also limits its scope. Santosh isn’t trying to dismantle the entire caste system or explore systemic corruption in-depth. It’s one woman’s story, and that narrowness may frustrate those looking for a broader critique.

Why Santosh Struck a Chord with Oscar Judges

The Academy loves stories that are both specific and universal, and Santosh delivers exactly that. Its raw authenticity, told through the eyes of a woman who refuses to give up, is impossible to ignore.

• Authenticity: Santosh’s pain, her defiance, and her small victories feel real because they are real for so many.
• Empathy: The film forces viewers to see what they’d rather not.
• Resonance: Santosh’s struggle may be rooted in caste and gender, but her resilience speaks to anyone who’s ever felt powerless in the face of injustice.

“Santosh” is currently playing in theaters in LA and NY, and will be available all over America on January 31, 2025. “Santosh” is a film that shakes you, unsettles you, and stays with you. Through Santosh’s eyes, we see a world that’s cruel and unforgiving but also filled with small, stubborn acts of hope.

It’s not just a story about one woman’s fight; it’s a reminder of the millions like her who live in the shadows, fighting battles no one sees. And that’s what makes “Santosh” not just Oscar-worthy but unforgettable.

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With one foot in Huntsville, Alabama, the other in her birth home India, and a heart steeped in humanity, writing is a contemplative practice for Monita Soni. She has published hundreds of poems, movie reviews, book critiques, and essays and contributed to combined literary works. Her two books are My Light Reflections and Flow through My Heart. You can hear her commentaries on Sundial Writers Corner WLRH 89.3FM.