Sunita Rajwar on UK selecting ‘Santosh’ for the Oscars - International Film category

Actress Sunita Rajwar is elated on learning about her film ‘Santosh’ being selected by the United Kingdom as official entry for the International Film Feature category at the Academy Awards 2025. ‘Santosh’ was released at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.

It is British-Indian film director Sandhya Suri’s first film. ‘Santosh’ stars Shahana Goswami in the lead role of Santosh, who joins the police force as a constable after the death of her husband. She is asked to join the investigation team probing into the death of a minor girl.

Speaking about her selection for the role of a police officer, Sunita Rajwar said, “I got a call from Mukesh Chhabra’s casting team, who told me that there is this British director who wants to make a film in India. I appeared in the auditions and got selected. After completing all formalities, we started research and did some rehearsals together. Then we started shooting for the film. I am playing a strict police officer in the film, it is quite a realistic character and different from whatever roles that I have done before.”

Sharing her first experience of walking the red carpet at Cannes and the feedback received from the audience, she said, “We received a very good response there. We got a standing ovation from the audience that lasted for least 8 minutes. The atmosphere at Cannes is very different, they are very passionate about art and artists. The environment is perfect for cinema and art. Everyone liked the film and people would come to us and tell us how much they appreciated our work. I never thought that I would get such a big opportunity in my life to walk the red carpet at Cannes. It was a dream come true kind of an experience for me.”

Sunita candidly confessed that she never thought ‘Santosh’ would be selected as an entry for the Oscars. She said, “For me, screening at Cannes was also an unexpected thing; Oscars is like beyond dreams kind of an experience. Prior to ‘Santosh’, I hadn’t got a chance to do such work, except for ‘Gullak’ and ‘Panchayat’. So, I am very excited to be part of such a film and play a prominent role in it.”

Sunita is proud of the fact that there will be two films competing from India at the Academy Awards next year. “When I heard that ‘Laapataa Ladies’ has been selected as the official entry from India for the Oscars, I was really happy. When it comes to our country, be it the Olympics or any news related to the industry or any girl winning the Miss World or Miss Universe title, it gives us such a sense of achievement. So, when you are associated with such a project, then it is like ‘sone pe suhaga’ kind of a thing. It is a happy moment for all of us that two of our films are competing at the Oscars. For me, I couldn’t ask for anything more, I feel that going to Cannes and then to the Oscars is like achieving ‘moksha’!”

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