Dibakar's 'Tees' thrills DIFF audiences—but what's stalling its Netflix release
What's the story
Dibakar Banerjee's unreleased film Tees, starring Naseeruddin Shah and Manisha Koirala, had its world premiere at the Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday.
The film was warmly received at DIFF with a packed audience and rave reviews on social media.
Commissioned by Netflix India, its release on the platform has been indefinitely delayed.
But why is that so?
Release hurdles
Why didn't Netflix release 'Tees'?
In an interview on Unfiltered with Samdish last year, Banerjee revealed that the streamer was unsure about the right time to release Tees.
He said, "It is best to ask them. They told us that they are not sure if this is the right time to release the film. Later, they gave a statement in an interview and said that the film didn't fit their slate."
Finding new home
'Now I'm knocking all doors...'
The director further added, "Now I am knocking all doors, begging people to buy the film from Netflix."
"I am meeting people in India as well as abroad, so that someone buys it from Netflix and releases it. I have not been able to move on from the film because I am entangled in it," the filmmaker added.
The DIFF screening seems to be an effort to attract potential buyers for the film.
Film details
'Tees' plot and Banerjee's collaborations
Banerjee's Tees narrates the tale of three generations of an Indian family, spanning from the 1980s to 2042.
The movie also stars Neeraj Kabi, Divya Dutta, Shashank Arora, and Huma Qureshi.
This project reunites Banerjee with Koirala, after their short film in Netflix India's 2018 anthology Lust Stories.
It's also his second with Arora, after Kanu Behl's 2014 neo-noir crime drama Titli.