Dorothy, the critically acclaimed Tamil crime drama directed by Karthik Subbaraj and starring Keerthy Suresh, will premiere on Netflix on October 23, 2026, the streamer has confirmed. The film, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival to a standing ovation, will be available to stream in five languages: Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi.
When and where to watch Dorothy on OTT
According to Netflix's official listing, Dorothy will make its digital debut on October 23, 2026, exactly four weeks after its September 25 theatrical release. The film carries an A certificate for its intense themes and raw storytelling, which restricted its theatrical run to adult audiences.
The film's streaming rights were picked up by Netflix even before its theatrical outing, so the digital premiere is another chance to catch Subbaraj's most discussed film in years.
What is Dorothy about?
Set in rural Tamil Nadu in the early 1990s, Dorothy follows two childhood friends, Karthi (Rishikanth) and Subbu (Sananth), whose inseparable bond is tested as they grow up in a world shaped by caste, violence and toxic masculinity. Their lives are transformed by the arrival of Dorothy, played by Keerthy Suresh, a woman whose compassion quietly challenges everything around her. Years later, one of the friends is sent on a quest to find the other, dragging unresolved conflicts and hard questions back to the surface.
Though described as a crime drama, the film keeps friendship at its core while examining caste discrimination, guilt, patriarchy and the lives of transgender people in 1990s Madurai. Filmmaker Mari Selvaraj, after watching it, called it "a film that gave me immense satisfaction," praising its portrayal of people whose stories rarely reach the screen.
TIFF premiere, box office and critical reception
Dorothy had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2026, becoming the first Tamil feature to premiere at TIFF in a decade. The festival screening reportedly received a standing ovation, putting the film on the international map before its theatrical release.
At the Indian box office, the film did respectable business for its scale and subject. It earned approximately $2 million (17.6 crore) in gross collections in India, with estimated worldwide earnings slightly above $2 million. It opened modestly but picked up through word of mouth, becoming Keerthy Suresh's eighth highest-grossing film since COVID.
Critical and audience reaction has been polarized, as befits an unconventional film. One prominent review called it "the most important Indian film of the year," while several viewers praised the performances and Ilaiyaraaja's background score. Others found the slow pacing and the tonal shift in the second half divisive. The mixed response has only sharpened interest in the Netflix release.
The Subbaraj-Ilaiyaraaja collaboration
One of the film's biggest talking points is its music. Dorothy is Ilaiyaraaja's 1,540th film score, and his first collaboration with Karthik Subbaraj, who has worked mostly with composer Santhosh Narayanan across his 15-year career. Subbaraj approached the maestro only after assembling the first cut, saying he simply wanted Ilaiyaraaja to watch the film even if he declined. The composer watched the entire cut in one sitting, then told the director to return at 8 the next morning. "The next 20 to 25 days were magic for me," Subbaraj later recalled.
The film features three songs and 18 background-score tracks, and the makers have even released the music on vinyl. Dorothy is Subbaraj's tenth directorial, following Retro (2025), and his earlier hits Jigarthanda, Petta and Mahaan. It is presented by Jio Studios and produced by Oscar-winning producer Guneet Monga Kapoor's Sikhya Entertainment, in association with Dhammam Films.
For Tamil cinema watchers, the October 23 Netflix premiere is the easiest way to catch the year's most debated Indian film: a festival-screened crime drama, a first-time Subbaraj-Ilaiyaraaja pairing, and Keerthy Suresh in the title role.
Watch: the official Dorothy trailer on YouTube, released by Sony Music South, introduces the two friends and the woman who changes everything between them.
Music in this post's reel: Kevin MacLeod - Silly Fun (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 3.0
Sources:
- The Week: "Dorothy" OTT release: Netflix confirms official release date for acclaimed Karthik Subbaraj film
- The Economic Times: Dorothy OTT release date confirmed, TIFF standing ovation and story details
- The Hollywood Reporter India: Karthik Subbaraj on working with Ilaiyaraaja on Dorothy
- The Indian Express: Dorothy trailer, cast and producers