Tasveer International film festival’s closing movie ‘Deshlai’

The film "Deshlai" explores the contemporary realities shaped by the youth of Bangladesh and India, alongside the growing influence of the internet. It will premiere at the Tasveer Film Festival, one of the most significant South Asian film events held in Seattle, USA. "Deshlai" has been selected as the festival's closing film on October 12.

"Deshlai" follows the story of a young TikToker named Zewel. The film is directed by Indian filmmaker Quashiq Mukherjee, better known as Q, who is widely recognised for his film "Gandu".

The central character, Zewel, dreams of becoming a hero and has already gained 15,000 followers on TikTok. He and his brother Jibon work as daily wage laborers and plan to move to Qatar to join an influencer company. However, when Jibon is caught dealing drugs, Zewel faces financial hardship. His journey eventually takes him across the border into India, where an even greater tragedy awaits.

The director revealed that the film was originally titled Zewel at the start of shooting but was later renamed "Deshlai". The cast includes Sizu Shahriar, Priyam Archi, Quazi Nawshaba Ahmed, Sayan Ghosh, Roddur Roy, Amit Rudra, and Rahi Abdullah, among others.

Announcing the international premiere, director Q wrote on Facebook: " 'Deshlai', our new film. The story, the main character, the time, TikTokers, influencers—everything belongs to this moment, entirely 2025. Surajit Sen had written a short story. Like our other films, this one too was born one night in our conversations. Zewel is someone very close to us. His life is filled with bittersweet sorrow. 'Deshlai' will premiere on October 12."

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The director also mentioned that Priyam Archi will represent the "Deshlai" team at the festival. The film is produced by Odd Joint, Bangladesh's OTT platform Chorki, USA's Luminary Pictures, Dreams on Cell, and Platoon Films.