Filmmaker Sandhya Suri has expressed her deep disappointment following the unexpected decision to halt the digital premiere of her film Santosh in India. The movie was scheduled to debut on Lionsgate Play on October 17, but was suddenly withdrawn.
Suri described the situation as “a real shame,” highlighting the challenges she faced with India’s censorship system. She explained, “When a film is set for a theatrical release, the censor board often demands cuts. The changes they requested were something I could not accept as they would fundamentally alter the film.”
She also emphasized that her concerns about these cuts for a theater release applied equally to streaming. “While streaming platforms don’t legally require censorship, they might still enforce their own restrictions,” she noted.
The filmmaker raised a significant issue regarding the potential for increased piracy due to the unexpected delay. “Since we announced the film and are now retracting that, many people might opt to watch it illegally instead,” she pointed out. Her hope is for Santosh to be shown legally and in its complete form in India.
The film tells the story of a widowed police constable, Santosh, portrayed by Shahana Goswami, who takes on her late husband’s role and investigates the murder of a young girl. Produced by Good Chaos and co-produced by Razor Film and Haut et Court, Santosh was also the UK’s submission for the Best International Feature at the 97th Academy Awards.
