Santosh OTT Release Date: Controversial Movie That Skipped Theatrical Release In India Finds Streaming Partner

Santosh OTT Release: Shahana Goswami's police procedural crime drama has finally got the release date after courting controversy, but there is a catch. The film had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the 77th Cannes Film Festival last year and was slated to hit the theatres this year in March. However, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) blocked its release in India, reportedly due to concerns over its depiction of misogyny, Islamophobia and police brutality. Despite making the changes, the film didn't get permission for theatrical release. But now, it has found its place on OTT. The movie is finally going to see the day of light, but digitally.

When and where to watch Santosh on OTT?

Helmed by Sandhya Suri, the movie is set to stream on October 17 on Lionsgate Play. The official Instagram page of the streaming giant shared a new poster of Santosh and penned a long caption. "This Diwali, Santosh finally speaks - A story India has been waiting for." The caption further reads, "There are silences heavier than words, silences that can bury truth like a shallow grave. #Santosh steps into that silence, refusing to look away. This is not a tale of heroism, but of survival. A story of women who find strength not all at once, but one quiet choice at a time."

Towards the end, the note reads, "From standing ovations at Cannes to its digital premiere, Santosh makes its powerful debut on 17th October, only on Lionsgate Play."

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What is the plot of Santosh?

The film was intended to be a documentary on sexual abuse in India, but the director decided to create a fiction film after seeing an image of female demonstrators and a female constable in a protest on the 2012 Delhi gang rape and murder. Set in rural north India, it stars Shahana as a widow who inherits her late husband's job as a police constable in the rural badlands of India. She begins an investigation into a low-caste girl’s brutal murder that plunges her into a gritty world of crime and corruption, forcing her to confront the brokenness of the system around her and her own place within it.

Apart from Sahana, the movie also stars Sunita Rajwar, Sanjay Bishnoi and Kushal Dubey in the supporting roles.

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What was the controversy around Santosh?

According to reports, CBFC banned the Indian release owing to its portrayal of misogyny, Islamophobia, casteism, and police brutality. This surprised the director, who stated that these incidents are not new to Indian cinema and have been raised in other films.

After earning positive reviews at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, Santosh was named one of the top 5 international films of 2024 by the National Board of Review, and was nominated at the 78th British Academy Film Awards for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer. It was also selected as the UK's entry for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards, making the December shortlist.

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