Review: In ‘Santosh,’ a cop-corruption drama with shades of ‘Serpico,’ a woman rises in the ranks

Following her husband’s tragic demise during his duty, a grief-stricken Santosh (played by Shahana Goswami) encounters the harsh reality of her precarious position – as a childless woman in a society biased towards men, with no apparent means of support and rather unsupportive relatives to complicate matters. Unexpectedly, she finds an economic lifeline through an Indian law called “compassionate appointment,” which allows the job of a deceased government employee to be passed on to their surviving spouse. In her remote corner of India, Santosh swiftly swaps her traditional attire for a khaki police uniform as her only viable option for survival.