 "Decoding Shahana Goswami's 'Santosh' controversy: Why UK's official entry to the Oscars is stuck with the Censor Board")
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has stalled the release of Shahana Goswami’s ‘Santosh’, UK’s official entry for the Oscars. The board has asked for multiple changes due to the theme and depiction of violence and police force. Let’s talk about it further.
What Shahana Goswami said
Goswami told India Today, “The censor has given a list of changes they require for the film to release and we as a team are not in agreement with the cuts as they would change the film too much, and so it is in a deadlock where it probably won’t release theatrically in India.”
“It’s just sad that something that has gone through censor approval at the script level should require so many cuts and changes for it to be considered okay to release in India,” Goswami added.
The CBFC has also stalled the release of the film in India due to its portrayal of Islamophobia, misogyny, and violence within the country’s police force.
The director breaks silence
Writer and director Sandhya Suri said, “I was surprised because these are not issues that are new to Indian cinema or weren’t raised before.
Social media reacts
One said, ‘This govt is slowly making our country from democratic to dictatorship..sooner we all realise this better will be for this country .. communalism is on high rise and anti this anti that sentiments r high .. rupee is all time low.. so are employment opportunities.. freedom of speech is also getting curbed.’
Another wrote- ‘People are so afraid to look in the mirror.’ A third comment read- ‘Santhosh is now renamed to Khamosh!’