Santosh

In rural India, 28-year-old Santosh avails of a scheme to inherit her late husband’s job as a police officer. A diligent worker, she is taken under the wing of an older officer while investigating a young woman’s murder. The investigation reveals disturbing truths about class divides, as well as the troubling lengths Santosh’s colleagues will go to to find a culprit. This feature debut from the British-Indian filmmaker Sandhya Suri is a sharp, probing study of police corruption and deep-rooted social tensions in modern India. Led by an impressively restrained and nuanced central performance from Sahana Goswami, Santosh boldly sets itself apart from other police procedurals through its richly-drawn setting, themes and characters.

Asian Film Awards - Best Actress (Shahana Goswami) and Best New Director (Sandhya Suri) British Independent Film Awards - Best Screenplay (Sandhya Suri