Censoring 'Santosh' and the truth of police torture

'SANTOSH' IS A VERY REALISTIC PORTRAYAL OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE POLICE AND THE COMMUNITIES OF RURAL NORTH INDIA. IT SHOWS HOW THE POLICE CAN TORTURE INNOCENT PEOPLE, MISTREAT DALITS AND MUSLIMS, JUSTIFY RAPE, AND INTIMIDATE THE GENERAL PUBLIC.

- Karan Thapar

As the name suggests, Sandhya Suri is a filmmaker of Indian origin. Her film, Santosh, was Britain's official entry for the Oscars; it won widespread acclaim at Cannes and a BAFTA nomination, whilst Shahana Goswami was given the Best Actress award at the Asian Film Awards. But hundreds of millions of Indians are unlikely to ever watch Santosh because of the sweeping and damaging censorship cuts the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has demanded, which, understandably, Suri has declined to accept.

We, the people of India, will be the losers. For a start, the film is entirely made in India, with an entirely Indian cast and it is in Hindi. In other words, it is as Indian as Indian can be.

More importantly, it portrays a truth that most Indians consider undeniable. Alas, the CBFC believes it can hide it from us! I'm referring to police cruelty and torture.