The Disciple

disciple /dɪˈsʌɪp(ə)l/ noun

a follower or pupil of a teacher, leader, or philosopher.

A 2020 Marathi language movie directed by Chaitanya Tamhane is about an Indian classical vocalist Sharad Nerulakar who has devoted his life to the art form following the teachings of his guru/teacher. This post is not a movie review - I am not any movie critic. This is just me nerding out.

99% of the cast from this movie are newcomers and yet he took 9 months to complete casting for this movie.

A still from the movie 'The Disciple'

I do not know anything about the Indian classical music. The makers of the film do not expect you to know about the art form to cherish the movie. The story is focused on an Indian classical music artist but it feels like a story of every other artist out there. The film shows the progression of Sharad Nerulkar's character. He struggles through every phase of it. You can feel his desperation to become best and make his Guru proud screaming loud through the screen. (which is amazing because the movie is very low tone and understated). He still remains an ordinary artist till the end who is constantly fighting with his internal insecurities.

What did I like about this movie?

Chaitanya Tamhane - the director of this movie has an inclination towards wide shots, loooong takes, still frames, slowly moving scenes. You can see all of these in this movie as well. All of these combined makes every frame of the movie beautiful. You can literally pause at any second of the movie and the frame you get is nothing but an amazing photograph. I have always been a sucker for the movies that are shot well. This movie is a treat for the eyes for someone with the same liking. This movie proves that film-making is not always about telling the complex stories - it is sometimes about giving the audience a good cinematic experience.

Who shouldn't watch this movie?

This movie is not for someone who loves fast paced action, drama, thriller. It moves really really slow. This movie is not about a complex story that unfolds as the time passes - it is a character study I would say.

Fun facts about this movie

Director Chaitanya believes in hiring non-professional actors for his movies. 99% of the cast from this movie are newcomers and yet he took 9 months to complete casting for this movie. Alfonso Cuaron - director of the popular movie 'Gravity' was so impressed with this movie that he decided to be an executive producer for this project.

'The Disciple' is available on Netflix to watch!

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