Santosh (2024) - 7/10

A distressing opening sequence sees a young Indian woman, Santosh (Shahana Goswami) widowed. Her husband was a policeman. She’s now unwanted property in a society that bestows little value on women. Although she’s not thought much of the future, now that seems all more uncertain. Until she’s learns of a police policy where she can inherit her husbands job. With little else to her name. The prospect of a wage and a widows pension, she washes the blood from his uniform and gets to work. It’s a steep learning curve, but she’s used to the well meaning misogyny from people like Inspector Thakur (Nawal Shukla). What she’s not ready for is the corruption and prejudice centred around the caste system. When a young girl is murdered, Santosh finds herself under the guidance of the head policewoman, Sharma (Sunita Rajwar), as the pair try to get to the bottom of the case or at least that’s what Santosh thinks. Sharma is fierce, knows her place, but knows how to use what power she has. It’s an engaging balance of bleak hope, as Santosh navigates an impoverished and secretive community, with her skill and stature growing as she does. It’s a thrilling crime drama, but could easily be a documentary shot in a different style. There’s a real and raw danger to it as Santosh finds herself drawn deeper in to the work, seeking justice that wasn’t given to her husband, but is she prepared for what can pass for justice. I don’t watch mush Indian Cinema, but the acting here is fantastic, no more so than with Goswami and Rajwar. They’ve a lot to convey and they do it well, bringing heart and soul to what’s often a powerfully dark visceral story. It doesn’t make me want to visit India to be honest, but I do now feel the need to watch more Indian cinema.

7/10