Direction: Chaitanya Tamhane
Country: India
Evoking The Music Room by Satyajit Ray, The Disciple is an inwardly focused drama film about a conservative classical Indian musician, Sharad Merulkar (newcomer Aditya Modak), who struggles to reach the top as an artist. He tries to follow the steps of his aging guru (Arun Dravid), whom he takes a good care of, and his late father (Kiran Yadnyopavit), who almost forced him into singing. Both are accomplished performers in the Anwar music tradition.
Although seeking inspiration in the exceptionally rare lectures of Maai (voice of Sumitra Bhave), an insightful and legendary musician, Sharad is not there yet, and he knows it. He lives haunted by the fear he will never reach that excellence in his artistic career, which makes him lose confidence in himself. He’s also very unbending in his musical ideas.
This slow-burning tale set in contemporary Mumbai is never deeply moving, but it does have some stinging truth in it. Visually accomplished, it feels and looks intensely personal. Yet, the sleep-inducing pace, repetitive sequences, and uninvolving ambience might strain the patience of some viewers.
Sophomore writer/director Chaitanya Tamhane, who made his debut in 2014 with Court, continues to demonstrate qualities in his work. However, the long duration of the film and a somewhat soulless approach gives this lesson in life an extra bitterness.
