As a seasoned gamer with a penchant for international cinema, I can confidently say that the news of Santosh representing the U.K. at the 2025 Oscars has me genuinely excited! Having dabbled extensively in Indian film industries, I’ve come to appreciate the intricate narratives and powerful performances they often offer.
The U.K. chose the Indian police procedural “Santosh,” directed by Sandhya Suri, as its entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2025 Oscars.
Shahana Goswami plays the lead role of Santosh, a motivated young widow who is a Hindu and becomes a police constable after inheriting her husband’s position due to a government initiative. She encounters systemic corruption within the institutions while simultaneously growing fond of Inspector Sharma (portrayed by Sunita Rajwar), a seasoned detective with a rugged demeanor, as they collaborate on a gruesome murder case involving a teenage girl from the Dalit community, a lower caste group.
This year, Santosh made its debut in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section and was swiftly acquired for North America by Metrograph Pictures. In the review by The Hollywood Reporter, the feature film was described as both “gripping” and “engrossing”, with special recognition given to Suri’s screenplay. The article noted that instead of using heavy exposition, Suri uses dialogues between Santosh and Sharma to reveal the underlying societal discrimination and workplace corruption that could potentially push these two women into a somewhat forced Faustian partnership.
Santosh makes her first appearance as a director of narrative features following the success of her breakthrough documentary, “I For India” (2005), and her award-winning short drama, “The Field,” which earned the title for best international short at Toronto in 2018 and received a nomination for the BAFTAs in 2019.
This year, the United Kingdom secured its first ever Academy Award win in the Best International Feature Film category as Jonathan Glazer’s Holocaust drama, titled “The Zone of Interest“, clinched the top prize. Previously, the UK had been nominated three times in this category.
On December 17, 2024, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences will reveal its list of potential 2025 Oscar nominees, particularly those for best international feature films. The official Oscar nominations will be disclosed on January 17, 2025. The 97th annual Academy Awards ceremony will take place on March 2, 2025, Sunday.
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2024-09-25 11:25