Sandhya Suri

Director, Writer, Lecturer

British Darlington, England

Quick Info

ProfessionDirector, Writer, Lecturer
NationalityBritish
Date of Birth01/08/1975
Age50 years
BirthplaceDarlington, England

Latest News about Sandhya Suri

19/03/2025

Sandhya Suri's debut feature Santosh was barred from release in India by the Central Board of Film Certification. The film's depiction of police brutality and related social issues led to the censorship decision, making it a notable controversy around her work. The ban drew attention because Santosh had already been recognized internationally and was selected as the United Kingdom's Oscar submission in the Best International Feature Film category.

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Bio/Wiki

BackgroundSandhya Suri developed a keen interest in filmmaking during her childhood, heavily influenced by her father's use of film as a means of communication with family in India. She is a British-Indian filmmaker based in London.

Physical Stats & More

Height5' 3" (161 cm)
Eye ColorBlack
Hair ColorBlack

Educational Qualification(s)

College/UniversityNational Film and Television School (NFTS), Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England
Degrees
  • Bachelor's degree (Pure Math)
  • Master of Arts (Directing Documentary)

Family

FatherYash Pal Suri
MotherSheel Suri
Siblings2 Sisters

Career

DebutFilm: Santosh (2024)
Notable Awards
  • 2025: Best New Director at the 18th Asian Film Awards for the film Santosh
  • 2024: Best Screenplay Award at the 21st Seville European Film Festival for the film Santosh
  • 2024: Golden Frog – Directors' Debuts Competition Award at the 32nd International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography Camerimage for the film Santosh
  • 2024: Best Screenplay Award at the British Independent Film Awards for the film Santosh
  • 2019: Cinema Nova Award for Best Fiction Short Film at the Melbourne International Film Festival for The Field
  • 2018: Best International Short Film Award at the Toronto International Film Festival for The Field
  • 2025: Best South Asian Director at Imagineindia 2025 for the film Santosh[3]
Film Festival Features
  • Her debut feature film, Santosh (2024), showcased at the 77th Annual Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard category.
  • The film received numerous accolades, including the Top Five International Films at the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures and two awards at the international film festival TOKYO FILMeX.
Notable Nominations
  • Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer at the British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA)
  • United Kingdom’s submission at the 97th Academy Awards in the Best International Film category.
  • BAFTA-nominated for Best Short Film in 2019 for The Field[1]
ControversiesAs of March 2025, Santosh was banned from release in India by the Central Board of Film Certification due to themes of police brutality and societal issues.

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. Sandhya's fascination with filmmaking began early, due in part to her father's influence.
2. During her youth, she aspired to be an author before switching her focus to mathematics.
3. Her teaching experience in Japan led her to the Yamagata Documentary Film Festival, which sparked further interest in filmmaking.
4. In 2005, she released her initial documentary I For India, exploring her father's narrative and earning a nomination for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance.
5. She launched a silent documentary and short film in 2018 and continues to make significant contributions to cinema.
6. She created the pure archive feature documentary Around India with a Movie Camera from the British Film Institute’s India collection.[3]
7. She studied pure mathematics and German before pursuing filmmaking.
8. Her first filmmaking venture involved buying a camera to document her time teaching in Japan.
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