CBFC

What This Means for Filmmakers and Audiences

 

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has requested changes in a number of scenes and components of CBFC: a film about a group of law enforcement agents addressing societal issues in rural North India. The narrative centers on a newly widowed woman who... "is sworn in as a police officer and is given the task of investigating the murder of a young Dalit girl."

 

Sandhya Suri’s ‘Santosh’

 

Sandhya Suri's first feature film grapples with timely topics such as caste discrimination, police violence, gendered violence, and anti-Muslim bias. Although an independent film, which clearly takes on sensitive matters, it has now been subjected to administrative hurdles that some observers reference as restrictions on free speech. Despite addressing controversial issues, Santosh has achieved widespread recognition internationally.

While some critics praised the film upon its premiere at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival and its representation of the U.K. in the Academy Awards for Best International Feature, earning a BAFTA nomination for Best Debut, its deepest impact came through Shahana Goswami's multilayered embodiment of the intricate protagonist—a performance rightly honored with Best Actress at the Asian Film Awards.

 

Sandhya Suri’s Reacts

 

The Indian film Santosh sparked controversy as it unapologetically revealed the depths of police brutality to the limits of accepted censorship. Suri led the criticism over the refusal of the film to glorify any of the characters, instead showing complex abuses of power by law enforcement while the social issues fester. The director waded through morally gray spaces while offering up heroes that lacked clear heroism.

As the viewer reflects back on the film, the viewer might also engage in the debate of whether violence becomes institutionalized or if celluloid, the representation of the real, yields a more deep-seated or lingering way to consider the unstoried social anguish of people. Santosh was condemned by critics for an unwillingness to indulge in a clear.

 

Conclusion

 

The CBFC's choice to prevent the release of Santosh appears to be a continuation of restricting potentially difficult or unconventional stories within Indian cinema. It raises one question about the board's support for artistic freedom by allowing different voices to be heard by audiences.