'Santosh' is not getting an OTT release after all
What's the story
The Indian digital release of Sandhya Suri's critically acclaimed film Santosh has been delayed once again due to censorship issues, reported Deadline. The film, which premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and was released in the US in December 2024, was scheduled for an Indian streaming premiere on Friday via Lionsgate Play. However, this release has now been put on hold at the last minute.
Director's statement
This is what Suri said
Suri, a veteran documentary filmmaker turned fiction director, expressed her disappointment over the situation. She said, "The process in India is that the censor board may ask you to make cuts for a theatrical release. The cuts they asked for were not acceptable to me or my team." "We couldn't make those cuts as they compromised the integrity of the film too profoundly." "The objections I had to cuts for the theatrical release remain my objections for a streaming release."
Film synopsis
'The streamers don't need, by law, to have censorship status...'
"The streamers don't need, by law, to have censorship status to show films. But perhaps this is about an environment in which streamers take on certain objections of their own accord for a harmonious universe." Suri noted that despite no official release, Indians were watching it. Santosh tells the story of a newly widowed woman who takes on her late husband's job as a police constable. The plot thickens when she gets involved in a young girl's murder investigation.
Upcoming work
Suri's upcoming project
Suri is currently working on an adaptation of a JG Ballard novel, details of which she has not yet revealed. She described it as "Ballard with a lot of emotion." The filmmaker was recently named one of the 2025 recipients of the BFI and Chanel's Filmmaker Award, which comes with a £20,000 cash prize.