Caste Discrimination and Islamophobia Scenes Lead to Ban on Indias Oscar Entry’

An Indian filmmaker living in the UK, Sandhya Suri, directed the film ‘Santosh’, which was selected to represent the UK at the Oscars. Despite this recognition, the film did not win an award. ‘Santosh’ has screened at various international festivals, and there were plans to release it in India. However, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) in India has banned its release.

According to the CBFC, the film contains content that could potentially disturb public order in India. They stated that the film would only be allowed for release if certain dialogues and scenes were removed. The filmmakers refused to make these changes.

The storyline follows a North Indian woman who joins the police force after her husband dies. The film explores sensitive topics such as caste discrimination, Islamophobia, and sexual violence, which may have sparked concerns about its release in India.

Actress Shahana Goswami, who plays the lead role in the film, expressed her disappointment at the situation. She stated, “It is deeply upsetting that audiences in the country where the film was made cannot watch it. It is even more unfortunate considering ‘Santosh’ was praised at Indian film festivals. The film not getting a theatrical release in India is truly disheartening and shameful.”