Renowned filmmaker Dibakar Banerjee faces obstacles in the release of his latest project, “Tees,” commissioned by Netflix. Despite featuring a star-studded cast including Naseeruddin Shah, Manisha Koirala, Neeraj Kabi, Divya Dutta, Shashank Arora, and Huma Qureshi, the film’s release has been delayed due to concerns raised by the streaming giant.
In an interview with Unfiltered by Samdish, Banerjee expressed his ongoing struggle with the project, stating that he has been unable to “move on” from it. “Tees” explores three generations of an Indian family, spanning from the 80s to 2042. Despite its completion, the film remains unreleased as Netflix cited concerns about its perceived riskiness for a wider audience.
The filmmaker revealed his efforts to seek solutions for the release of “Tees,” actively reaching out to potential buyers to acquire the film from Netflix. Banerjee disclosed, “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.”
Banerjee’s struggle comes as a result of Netflix’s initial uncertainty about the film’s release timing, later stating that “Tees” didn’t align with their current content slate. The filmmaker encourages inquiries about the delay to be directed to Netflix.
Additionally, Banerjee’s filmography reflects a connection with a specific audience he terms the ‘uncle’ crowd. This demographic is characterized by a certain mindset, as evident in films like “Khosla Ka Ghosla” and “Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar.” According to Banerjee, this audience, willing to accept casualties for progress, is now disappointed with the current state of affairs, despite their initial optimism.
Moreover, Banerjee asserted that he tailored “Tees” with this ‘uncle’ audience in mind, considering their outlook. He highlighted a disconnect between policies and outcomes, with the ‘uncles’ expressing a wait-and-see attitude, stating, “The policies are very good but it will take some time.”
In light of the Tandav controversy, Netflix has reportedly withdrawn support from various Indian projects, including Anurag Kashyap’s “Maximum City” and Vikramaditya Motwane’s “Indi(r)a’s Emergency,” as part of a broader reassessment of content and partnerships in response to controversies and evolving sensitivities, according to a recent report by The Washington Post.
