Debutant filmmaker Tanmaya Shekhar’s indie film Nukkad Naatak is set to premiere on Netflix on April 24, the makers said in a statement.
“From the streets (quite literally) to screens across the world… our small, self-funded film with an all first-time team will be streaming on Netflix from April 24 onwards, reaching audiences in 190+ countries. What started as a passion project, with no big names attached, went on to have a three-week theatrical run with 12 houseful shows and has now found a global home,” they wrote.
Starring Molshri, Shivang Rajpal and Danish Husain the film released in theatres on February 27. Nukkad Naatak follows two expelled college students who must enrol five children from a nearby slum into school to earn their way back. LGBTQ+ representation also emerges as a key theme as the story unfolds.
The film has already won big at film festivals. It bagged the Special Jury Award at the Kolkata International Film Festival 2024 and the Best Debut Film trophy at Indo-German Film Week 2025.
But despite national and international acclaim, no major production house came forward to support it. OTT platforms initially refused to stream it. And then the makers — Tanmaya, lead actress Molshri and producer Medha Khanna — decided to build their audience from scratch.
When traditional distribution doors shut, the makers launched a viral Instagram series titled How to Enter Bollywood, which revolves around two outsiders trying to break into the industry. The series clocked over 15 million views across 25 episodes. But they did not stop there. They took promotions beyond the digital platforms.
Molshri and Tanmaya travelled to cities including Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Indore and Kolkata, holding posters at public spots, conducting open mics and directly engaging with audiences.
On the bright side, the strategy, indeed, seems to have worked. After a successful theatrical run nationwide, the film has now bagged an OTT deal.
“We had no star cast, no big names, and since Covid no such Hindi films were being acquired by OTT. The chances of release were zero — should we abandon the project? But no, we used our weakness as our strength. And finally when the film is releasing on April 24 on Netflix, the road ahead after the Netflix release is all uncertain again! I want to be a leading actress in Bollywood — but will my debut film be enough as an outsider to break in? The doubts loom large, but now I am more confident that no matter what challenges arise, I will find my way,” Molshri told The Telegraph Online.
“The costume of Nukkad Naatak — black and red — matches with the Netflix logo. Molshri had even created a thumbnail of how Nukkad Naatak would be listed on the Netflix app. So after a long journey we are ecstatic that the film is now coming out on Netflix,” shared Tanmaya.
Shivang, on the other hand, reflected on the team’s unwavering faith in their project. “Usually in this industry, people feel like a film’s destiny is uncertain and out of their hands. But I am glad that we, as a team, pushed beyond that uncertainty and built it our own way. Now that it’s coming out on Netflix, it just feels very special and overwhelming,” he concluded.
