Santosh
Santosh
Newly widowed Santosh inherits her husband's job as a police constable in the rural badlands of Northern India. When a girl's body is found, she's pulled into the investigation under the wing of charismatic feminist inspector Sharma.
Kevin Ward reviewedJuly 1, 2025
When her constable husband is killed in the line of duty, Santosh Saini (Shahana Goswami) is given the rare opportunity to step into his role and receive a widow’s pension, sparing her from the bleak prospects typically faced by widows in a patriarchal society. Taking the job is both a lifeline and a challenge, as Santosh enters a male-dominated system where justice is often skewed by corruption, casteism, and entrenched misogyny. Under the mentorship of the seasoned Inspector Sharma (Sunita Rajwar), Santosh begins to find her footing and a sense of empowerment. However, as she delves deeper into her duties, she becomes painfully aware of how the system perpetuates inequality, often favoring the upper castes and the powerful at the expense of true justice.
Both Goswani and Rajwar deliver outstanding performances, particularly Rajwar who has a quite nuanced character. This nuance is most evidenced by the climactic conversation between Santosh and Sharma, as Sharma sort of lays bare her pragmatic view of surviving within a corrupt system. That scene stuck with me.