Filmmaker Dibakar Banerjee‘s long-awaited film Tees, previously dropped by Netflix after years of delay, was recently screened at the Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF). Initially announced in 2019 under the working title Freedom, the film has finally made its way to audiences after a protracted and emotionally taxing journey for Banerjee.
At the film’s premiere, Banerjee opened up about the emotional toll of Netflix shelving Tees. “I went through anger, frustration, and depression, but I couldn’t recognize it at the time. My daughters kept saying, ‘Papa, you are always angry.’ That’s when I started therapy, and it helped,” he shared with Moneycontrol.
While Netflix initially backed the project, the streaming giant eventually decided to drop it after numerous delays. Banerjee speculated that the controversy surrounding the political drama Tandav on Prime Video may have made platforms cautious about releasing potentially contentious content.
Dibakar Banerjee dating Swastika Mukherjee
Reflecting on the decision, Banerjee revealed that he had even suggested self-censoring the film to mitigate backlash. “We told them about the changes we should make. We were self-censoring and made a list. Netflix, however, advised us to come from a position of strength,” he explained. Ultimately, changes within Netflix’s team led to the project being put on hold indefinitely.
Despite the setback, Banerjee embraced resilience. Speaking about the experience, he remarked, “I’ve become an addict now. I enjoy fighting.”
Tees boasts a stellar ensemble cast, including Manisha Koirala, Divya Dutta, Naseeruddin Shah, Huma Qureshi, Shashank Arora, and Zoya Hussain. The film intricately portrays the lives of a three-generation middle-class urban family, offering a nuanced take on the challenges and beauty of everyday life.
