Review: Santosh

Official synopsis: Newly widowed Santosh ( Shahana Goswami) inherits her husband's job as a police constable in the rural badlands of Northern India. When a girl's body is found, she's pulled into the investigation under the wing of charismatic feminist inspector Sharma. (Sunita Rajwar)

Did you know India has a law in some areas where a woman can take over her husband's job in the event of his death? I did not, and that alone peaked my interest in writer/director Sandhya Suri's film. (Which also happens to be on the Oscar Shortlist for Best International Feature from the UK)

Santosh takes over her husband's role as a police constable after he is killed in the line of duty and wouldn't you guess it? The misogyny is running wild. The film also explores India's caste system. Even Santosh herself subconsciously contributes. Someone asks her how she lives without getting justice for her husband's murder, but this girl is her justice. The story is very compelling and Goswami's plays Santosh stone faced, but in her eyes you can see so many thoughts and questions swirling. She's great here, and you just want to slap every man she comes across that tries to bring her down.

Unfortunately the film has a pretty big pacing issue. While it starts off relatively brisk, it comes to a screeching halt towards the middle and moves at a snails pace. On top of that, I found some of the scenes hard to see. I'm not sure if it was the film's lighting or my computer's while watching the screener, but I struggled with it.

Pacing aside, This was a very interesting watch for someone like me who does not know a lot of the intricacies of India's culture. It's still well worth your time.

Grade: B-