Santosh
Santosh
Santosh

Santosh

Unclassified 18+
Program Strand/s: Asia Pacific

Premiering in Cannes Un Certain Regard, this scathing, subversively feminist take on the police procedural puts modern-day India under scrutiny.

In the rural badlands of northern India, newly widowed Santosh takes over her late husband’s job as police constable. When a teenage girl from the Dalit caste – considered the ‘untouchable ones’ within the country – is found murdered in a small town, Santosh teams up with her superior, the older, charismatic female inspector Geeta, in a race against time and community pressure to find the killer.

Turning the familiar, often male-driven Hollywood police procedural on its head, this narrative debut feature from filmmaker Sandhya Suri (The Field, MIFF 2019; I for India, MIFF 2006) dives deep into the divisions plaguing contemporary India, using the crime thriller as a means to explore ideas around caste, class, gender and religion. Driven by powerful central performances from Shahana Goswami and Sunita Rajwar, Santosh is a searing examination of corruption, politics and sexism – and an explosive, nail-biting law-enforcement drama.

“A propulsive neo-noir … This is a crisply-executed crime picture that negotiates its hot-button themes with intelligence and a refreshing lack of sensationalism.” – Screen Daily

Tickets

12 Aug 3:45pm ACMI 1
Access: Assistive listening Wheelchair Accessible 100 percent subtitled
Past Session
Santosh (125 m)
Past Session
17 Aug 9:45pm Kino 2
Access: Assistive listening Wheelchair Accessible 100 percent subtitled
Past Session
Santosh (125 m)
Past Session

For information about the accessible services being offered at MIFF, please visit miff.com.au/access. If you require any access service, such as wheelchair/step-free access, for any MIFF session, please call 03 8660 4888 or email boxoffice@miff.com.au to book your ticket.

You might also like ...

Feature

With the odds (and the law) stacked against them, a teenager and a teacher in creatively stunted Saudi Arabia find meaning and friendship through art.

Dir. Tawfik Alzaidi / 2023 / 95 mins / Saudi Arabia / Arabic
Feature

The first Indian film to screen in Cannes competition in 30 years is a sensuous tale of two nurses, their romances and a mystical trip to the coast.

Dir. Payal Kapadia / 2024 / 115 mins / Netherlands, France, India, Luxembourg / Malayalam, Hindi
Feature

This portrait of justice-seeking Syrians in European exile is a deftly calibrated spy thriller propelled by stand-out performances.

Dir. Jonathan Millet / 2024 / 106 mins / France / French, Arabic