Sandhya Suri’s Oscars Hopeful Delivers An Engrossing, Emotionally Charged Take On The Rookie Police Formula

While not one of the most popular of the crime drama genre, the rookie police formula is one that’s been explored to largely gripping success, the most iconic being the Denzel Washington-led Training Day. However, while Antoine Fuqua’s 2001 hit is certainly a thrilling ride, the rookie police movies that always stand out to me are the ones that aim to say something about law enforcement, good or bad, with their story, and Sandhya Suri’s Santosh
proves to be the perfect vehicle.

The movie centers the titular Santosh Saini, a 28-year-old woman in North India who finds her life upended by the death of her husband, a police constable, during a riot. With no plans for the future, Saini finds herself offered the job of her late husband, having to learn the ropes in a rural area of the country. When a teenage girl is murdered and left in the well of a local village, Santosh not only finds herself drawn further into the case but also learns the gray morality of law enforcement.

Santosh Is A Searing Takedown Of Law Enforcement

Suri’s Feminist Approach Offers Some Very Timely Themes

From the moment we and Saini learn of the government initiative for more female officers and widows taking over their late husbands’ jobs, Santosh already proves to be a fascinating twist on the rookie police formula. Unlike most other films, in which we follow a character who’s enthusiastic about becoming an officer, we’re instead attached to someone who is very reluctantly taking the job. This also proves to be a more interesting way to set up the protagonist as our eyes into the world of the film, as we’re learning of the morally gray nature of the area’s police force.

And with Saini at the forefront, Suri holds nothing back in making Santosh an absolutely brutal takedown of the country’s law enforcement, particularly when it comes to their poor treatment of women. The way Saini finds herself dismissed, not only by the general public, but even by her fellow male officers while trying to do her job, isn’t so over the top that it’s cartoonish, but does happen frequently enough to still feel authentic and frustrating.

The Central Mystery Starts Intriguingly But Becomes Forgettable

It’s Clear It Wasn’t Meant To Be The Main Focus

While the movie could’ve solely focused on following Saini as she gets accustomed to the job, Suri does look to add a little extra intrigue to Santosh with its central mystery of the murdered young girl. Introduced around the end of the first third of the film, the movie actually makes some effective use of the investigation for its social commentary, particularly the reveal that the village’s men pulled an animal corpse out of the well faster than they did the girl’s body, which genuinely left me quite unsettled.

But while it may have ties to the movie’s themes, it often feels like the murder investigation isn’t nearly as important to Saini’s journey as her experiences from it. In Santosh‘s defense, it doesn’t present itself exclusively as a murder mystery, thus giving it leeway to stray from the tropes of the subgenre as it puts a greater focus on its commentary. But I still couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed, not only with how the mystery played out but also with its resolution, with not a lot of answers given and an ending that wasn’t concrete enough.

Shahana Goswami Thoroughly Keeps Us Hooked Through Santosh’s Slower Moments

Sunita Rajwar Is Also A Wonderful Supporting Player

Despite some of the movie’s flaws, Santosh‘s cast truly shines, particularly Shahana Goswami in the titular role. Serving as an audience surrogate, Goswami nicely balances the feeling of curiosity and uncertainty as she becomes more embroiled in the case and her job. Even in the parts where the movie feels a little long, I still found myself grounded by the actress, who brings as much soul to her performance through her eyes as she does her dialogue delivery.

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Goswami isn’t the only one who is fantastic, as Sunita Rajwar excels in her supporting turn as Saini’s supervisor, Geeta Sharma. The Stree alum expertly balances a sense of compassion and sympathy for the titular protagonist along with an air of suspicion that leaves us guessing just how much of an ally she may be to Santosh, and makes her nearly just as compelling as the film’s lead. With Suri’s narrative directorial debut being so gripping, I can certainly see why it’s up for Oscars consideration, and look forward to seeing what she does next.

Santosh is now playing in theaters. The film is 120 minutes long and rated R for some language and violent content.

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Santosh

9/10

Pros

• Shahana Goswami is excellent in the titular role
• The feminist take on the rookie cop formula is compelling and complex
• The director holds nothing back in her commentary

Cons

• The film has a central mystery that’s intriguing at first but ultimately forgettable