I must admit that The Disciple is probably one of the best and most thought provoking Indian films that has ever released on Netflix.
The Marathi film focuses on the mundane life of Sharad Nerulkar (Aditya Modak), a Hindustani classical vocal student of his Guruji (Arun Dravid).
Sharad is a perfect “disciple” to his beloved guru, who literally does everything for him till his last breath. But his musical efforts remain mediocre despite his obsession with Guruji and Maai (voiced by Sumitra Bhave); unlike some of the other students.
Sharad’s best performance is eventually at the memorial concert for Guruji.
The Disciple illustrates how an artist lives an extremely mediocre life even after following his passion. A simple yet extremely realistic tale about a devoted student’s journey and the dying fate of Indian classical music.
The film’s carefully woven narrative jumps back and forth between various points in the protagonist’s life that throws light on the formation and destruction of his worldview, while painting a hopeless reality of his existence.
The soul of this film is its music.
Music Director Aneesh Pradhan has done a remarkable job in composing a soul-soothing music for this gem.
Cinematographer Michal Sobociński also engages the audience into each scene, giving ample time to slowly analyze and percept each moment and dive deep into it.
The entire cast has performed tremendously, complementing Tamhane’s un-intrusive and observatory style to give us a meditative experience.
But lead actor Aditya Modak as Sharad Nerulkar deserves all the praise for his stellar performance.
Director and Writer Chaitanya Tamhane proved his mettle with National Award winning film Court (2014) and he does it again with The Disciple.
He is certainly part of the new breed of filmmakers, much like his mentor Alfonso Cuaron, who will uncompromisingly immerse the viewers in the setting of their films.
Final Verdict: The Disciple will certainly transport you to the world of classical music. A must watch for every cinema lover.
Writer/Director: Chaitanya Tamhane
Cast: Aditya Modak, Arun Dravid, Sumitra Bhave, Deeepika Bhide, BhagwatKiran Yadnyopavit
Runtime: 127 minutes
The Disciple is streaming on Amazon Prime
NOTE: THE VIEWS AND OPINION EXPRESSED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHOR.
Edited by Nidhi Sahani
