Parents' Guide to Santosh

This Hindi-language crime drama depicts the harsh realities of systemic injustice in India. Santosh doesn't offer hope or liberation, instead leaving viewers with a sense of burning outrage at the inequities shown. The film is far removed from traditional Bollywood's singing and dancing heroes. Writer-director Sandhya Suri presents an India where ordinary citizens can be threatened by police without due process for simply sitting in public with someone of the opposite sex. While some viewers may find shocking the way citizens have their dignity stripped away by those meant to protect them, for others this represents daily reality. Goswami captures Santosh's internal conflicts with remarkable subtlety and precision. Sunita Rajwar, as mentor Geeta Sharma, balances warmth with menace, creating compelling tension between the characters. However, while the film tells a vital story, it's still told from the perspective of someone who can choose whether to participate in oppression. Those on the receiving end get neither adequate voice nor choice in the narrative. Notably, the film has been blocked from release in India, which speaks to its unflinching portrayal of institutional failures.