Screening

The film was premiered in 41st Moscow International Film Festival in April 2019.^[3] Then it was screened for Sydney Film Festival in June 2019 in Australia.^[4] On July, 2019, it was screened for Filmfest München and London Indian Film Festival. It became a nominee for CineCo Pro Award.^[5][1] It was screened as official Selection in Busan International Film Festival in October 2019. It was also screened in 2019 Hong Kong Asian Film Festival.^[6]

Home media

The film was digitally premiered in India and Singapore through SonyLIV from 7 July 2023.^[7]

Controversy and censorship

In January 2019, the Film Censor Board of Bangladesh banned the theatrical release of Saturday Afternoon which portrays the July 2016 terrorist attack at the Holey Artisan Bakery as it would "damage the country's reputation".^[8] The censor board said that the film could "incite religious fervour in the Muslim-majority nation of 165 million".^[8][9] In January, 2021, a group of artists led by Farooki protested by many ways against the decision.^[10] In August, 2022, netizens of Bangladesh protested online against the ban.^[11] On 26 August 2022, a group of filmmakers and artists demanded clear explanation for ban the film.^[12] On 28 August 2022, a television drama directors' organisation named Director's Guild protested against government and demanded censor clearance of the film.^[13] On 29 August 2022, Hasan Mahmud, the information minister of the country, expressed the decision to give permission to release the film under the condition that the director should add extra scenes advised by appeal board. He also claimed that the film didn't show the whole fact.^[14] In October 2022, Farooki said that some dialogues may be added to the film's ending to get clearance from the Censor Board.^[15] On 21 January 2023, it got green signal of the appeal board to release theatrically in the Bangladesh market.^[16]

Critical response

Deborah Young of The Hollywood Reporter said about the film, "As in most films that attempt to do everything in a one-shot single take, viewers soon forget technique in the heat of the evolving story. It doesn’t seem to faze either the professional cast or cinematographer Aziz Zhambakiyev (Harmony Lessons), as Valerii Petrov’s Steadicam goes flying around the airy restaurant with its picture windows onto a police stakeout and walls that seem to change color from blue to red to heighten the drama".^[17] Calling it a modernised version of The Petrified Forest, Wally Adams of Easternkicks.com praised performance of its actors.^[18]

Accolades