Exclusive: “Certain Kind of Control Gets Exerted” – Shahana Goswami on Censorship of Santosh
Sandhya Suri’s film Santosh, starring Shahana Goswami, has been receiving rave reviews at the international festival circuit, but its release has been blocked in India by the Central Board of Film Certification over concerns about its portrayal of violence in the police force, misogyny, and Islamophobia.
During an exclusive conversation with Filmfare, Goswami spoke about the ban on the film and expressed, “It is sad because it’s a film that could have had it. I have done many films in my life that have not been released in India. There are probably more films I’ve done that have not been released than the ones that have been released. But this was different because it was something that had the potential to and had the demand to be watched over here.”
She added,”I do believe that everything happens for a good reason, and I’m still hopeful that there could be a possibility of it coming out in some shape or form. But what it has also done is create even more of an intrigue and a calling towards it. People have been finding their means to watch it almost as an act of rebellion.”
Santosh was the UK’s official entry to the Oscars this year. The film follows the story of Santosh, a young widow who accepts an opportunity to inherit her late husband’s job as a police officer in the rural badlands of India. Shahana continued, “It’s unfortunate only because it’s more reflective of the fact that there is a certain kind of control that gets exerted unnecessarily. Most people who watch the film don’t understand why it would even create a censorship issue.”
While the release has been blocked, the film was approved on the script level. On this, the actress said, “Which is why it doesn’t make sense. But that’s the world we live in. There are a lot of illogical acts that happen for supposed logical reasons in their mind and their fears and worries, and anxieties.”
When asked whether she sees any duality in the way the censor board functions, as a lot of films with acts of violence against women are passed without any cuts, she answered, “People don’t want to see the truth. Excessive violence or sexuality is often accepted because it feels so far from reality that it becomes okay. But the minute something becomes reflective like a mirror, it makes people uncomfortable, and they don’t want everybody to be cognizant of their reality. You don’t want people to suddenly start questioning why they do what they do or why they are living in the world that they’re living in. Especially when it talks about systemic and administrative issues. It’s human nature to try to control reality and control the narrative. But things find their way somehow or another to people. I do believe that the film will find its way in India at some point.”
Shahana Goswami can currently be seen in the show Four Years Later streaming on Lionsgate Play.
Also Read: Shahana Goswami Reacts as Santosh Faces Hurdles for its India Release
