Chaitanya Tamhane's Venice Winner, The Disciple To Release On Netflix

The Disciple, which premiered at the 77th Venice Film Festival, is all set to release on Netflix. The film directed and written by Chaitanya Tamhane traces the journey and conflicts of a classical vocalist. It follows the story of Sharad Nerulkar who has devoted his life to the art, and diligently follows the traditions and discipline of the old masters, his guru and his father.

The film was highly praised by the critics and audience alike for the casting and performances. It was also awarded the FIPRESCI International Critics Prize at Venice, and the Amplify Voices Award at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival. It has been nominated for Best International Feature at the Film Independent Spirit Awards.

The makers have described the film as "a journey of devotion, passion, and searching for the absolute in contemporary Mumbai." The Disciple is produced by Vivek Gomber and executive produced by Oscar-winner Alfonso Cuaron.

The makers released a statement to announce the film's Netflix release. Chaitanya Tamhane talked about the story and revealed, "The Disciple came from my own search for excellence and direction. It's about how many of us follow all the rules and yet, sometimes, find that something is missing. I was honoured to get the opportunity to work with a creative genius (and my mentor) like Alfonso Cuaron. And now, not only has Netflix acquired it to stream to a discerning global audience. I'm truly grateful and humbled that global industry stalwarts have found this film worthy."

"A great deal of research goes into making a film and my aim as a filmmaker has always been to tell my story authentically within a dramatic framework. One also needs to afford the audience intelligence and intuition to be able to invest in your story, no matter what the cultural context may be. I'm glad this approach worked out well for The Disciple," he added.

Meanwhile, Alfonso Cuaron described Chaitanya as "one of the most important new voices" of cinema and said, "I'm thrilled The Disciple will be able to be enjoyed by audiences all around the world."

The Disciple stars Aditya Modak, Arun Dravid, Sumitra Bhave, Deepika Bhide Bhagwat and Kiran Yadnyopavit in pivotal roles.