EXCLUSIVE: Fresh from winning two awards at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs) on Sunday, Cannes title Santosh has sewn up an eagerly awaited deal for distribution in India.
PVR INOX Pictures, the film releasing arm of the largest film exhibition company in India PVR INOX Ltd, has acquired the Indian rights to the Hindi-language feature, which is the UK’s official Oscar entry for Best International Feature Film category.
MK2 is selling the film and cut the deal with PVR INOX. Pic is written and directed by Sandhya Suri, and stars Shahana Goswami and Sunita Rajwar, and is produced by Good Chaos in association with Suitable Pictures (India) and in co-production with Haut Et Court (France) and Razor Film (Germany).
The official synopsis reads: “Ripped from her life of domesticity, Santosh, a young widow now desperate to support herself, accepts an opportunity to inherit her husband’s job as a police officer in the rural badlands of India. Quickly taken under the wing of Sharma, a charismatic and commanding older female inspector, Santosh begins an investigation into a low-caste girl’s brutal murder that plunges her into a gritty world of crime and corruption, forcing her to confront not only the brokenness of the system around her, but her own place within it.”
There has been intrigue as to the film’s Indian distributor given the film’s setting and themes.
The movie recently won Best Screenplay and Best Breakthrough Producer at the BIFAs after making its global premiere in Un Certain Regard at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Other festival berths have included MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, IFFI Goa International Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival and BFI London Film Festival, among a host of others.
Backed by the BFI and BBC Film, the film is produced by Mike Goodridge, James Bowsher, Balthazar de Ganay and Alan McAlex. Ama Ampadu, Eva Yates, Diarmid Scrimshaw, Lucia Haslauer and Martin Gerhard serve as executive producers.
Santosh has already had a successful theatrical release in France, by Haut Et Court Distribution, with more than 150,000 admissions to date. The film is gearing up for its U.S. release via Metrograph on December 27.
PVR INOX Pictures is the largest distributor of independent foreign-language films in India and a prolific distributor of Indian films. Upcoming credits include John Wick spinoff Ballerina, Nicole Kidman-starrer Babygirl, horror hit Heretic, and the Thai sensation How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies.
Kamal Gianchandani, CEO PVR INOX Pictures said today: “We are thrilled to be bringing Santosh to our Indian audiences. This film is not only a beautiful reflection of universal themes of hope and self-discovery, but the emotional depth, exceptional performances, striking visuals, and a unique narrative approach, make it a truly special cinematic experience. We believe it will strike a chord with viewers across the country. We’re excited to partner with the filmmakers to ensure that this extraordinary story reaches as many hearts as possible.”
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