'Gratifying': Sandhya Suri on 'Santosh' making it to Oscars shortlist
British-Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri's latest work, Santosh, has secured a spot on the Oscar shortlist representing the United Kingdom. The Hindi-language film is among other international contenders including France's Emilia Perez and Brazil's I'm Still Here. In an exclusive interview with Times Now, Suri expressed her joy and honor at this achievement. She stated, "I don't know honestly how it happens but it is gratifying as an artist to make a film one is proud of."
Suri's vision for 'Santosh' and its distribution
Suri stressed wanting audiences to see Santosh. She remembered the film's successful summer run in French cinemas, drawing almost 1,50,000 viewers—a huge feat for a non-French film by a debutant. Moving forward, Suri is eager to get strong distribution in India and the UK. "My main wish for the film is for audiences to see it... Having robust distribution in India and the UK is the next step. And so so important for me."
Suri praised cast members Sunita Rajwar and Shahana Goswami
Suri also spoke about her casting choices, especially lauding Sunita Rajwar's performance as a serious cop. She said, "Sunita was perfect for (Geeta) Sharma...But what I love about Sunita is that she brought us a really human Sharma. Her face delivers so much vulnerability." She also praised Shahana Goswami's performance as the titular character Santosh. "She delivered all the things so superbly. I find her utterly iconic in her uniform and in this role."
'Santosh' explores moral ambiguity and corruption
Suri also delved into the themes of Santosh, noting how it explores moral ambiguity and corruption. She said the film is set in a small town where violence, corruption, misogyny, casteism, and religious intolerance are rampant. "It's not pointed at, it's just...there...What is it like to be surrounded by that, to breathe it in daily?" Suri said. "I knew it wasn't going to be a story about a good cop in a bad system but rather a morally murky universe."
Suri clarified inspiration behind 'Santosh'
When asked about the similarities between Santosh and Ivan Iyr's Soni, Suri clarified that her project was conceived at the Sundance India lab in 2015, before both Soni and Delhi Crime. She said she was interested in exploring a mentor-mentee relationship between women with all its moral complexities. "I was always interested in telling the story of a mentor-mentee relationship between women in all its moral complexity...These relationships have their dark and their light sides too."
