The much-anticipated Indian release of Santosh, a film celebrated at Cannes, feted globally and submitted as the UK’s official Oscar entry, has hit a wall. After the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) demanded extensive cuts in the film, director Sandhya Suri was left with an impossible choice. The British-Indian filmmaker, who wrote and directed the movie, told The Guardian, “In the end, it was just too difficult to make those cuts and have a film that still made sense, let alone stayed true to its vision.”

Set in a fictional northern Indian town, Santosh follows a young widow (Shahana Goswami) who steps into her late husband’s role in the police force, only to be thrust into a harrowing investigation under an authoritarian inspector. Suri told The Guardian that the list of cuts from the CBFC would be “impossible” to implement and included “concerns about themes relating to police conduct and wider societal problems, which are deeply baked into the film.”

“It was very important to me that the film is released in India so I did try to figure out if there was a way to make it work. But in the end it was just too difficult to make those cuts and have a film that still made sense, let alone stayed true to its vision... I don’t feel my film glorifies violence in a way that many other films focusing on the police have done. There’s nothing sensationalist about it,”

Suri said, “Maybe there’s something about this film which is troubling in that everybody is morally compromised and there is no single hero. I think that’s what might set it apart from other stories in Indian cinema, which often show a maverick cop in a rotten system.”

The film’s lead star Shahana Goswami expressed her frustration: “It’s really sad and disheartening that a film about an aspect of our world, our reality, cannot be seen by the large cross-section of our people... It’s a film that could have done well in theatres, but given the circumstances, it is not possible now.”

While the CBFC did not comment on the issue till the time of going to press, a source familiar with the certification developments revealed that after months of back-and-forth, and discussions with the examining committee and then the revising committee, “the producers and the director felt that if these suggested cuts were implemented, the film would be released in a destroyed manner.”

The source adds, “The film deals with themes such as caste, Islamophobia and police corruption. Legally, it is incorrect to say that the CBFC has blocked the release of the film. The issue lies in the disagreement between the director, producer, and the CBFC regarding the proposed modifications, and due to this disagreement, the film has not yet been certified.”

The CBFC hurdle comes at a time when global media has been effusive about the film’s subject, performances and the storytelling. Acclaimed film critic Peter Bradshaw in his review for The Guardian describes Santosh as a “terrifically tense cop movie” that explores sexism, caste prejudice and Islamophobia in India. Jonathan Romney lauded Suri’s film for its blend of gritty storytelling and social commentary on police corruption, sexism and caste prejudice among other things. The New York Times praised the film for its “searing social critique.”

Oscar-winning Anora and The Substance and Oscar nominated The Apprentice could not secure a release due to suggested cuts. This year, Anora, which won five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress, was acquired for release in India but could not get certified. The Substance and The Apprentice, which were also set for release in India, faced similar issues with the CBFC and were ultimately not released.

A source involved in the release process says, "Hollywood and foreign producers and distributors want their films to be released in India. However, many foreign films face roadblocks with the CBFC. Its unfortunate that the CBFC insists on cuts, and after these modifications are suggested, the producer or director often refuses to release the film with those cuts because it compromises the film's narrative."

Last year, Dev Patel’s Monkey Man was scheduled for a theatrical release in India, but the CBFC did not schedule a screening for its members.