Netflix is following in the footsteps of “The Disciple,” acquiring the worldwide rights to the Indian drama that is executive produced by Alfonso Cuarón. The film won the Best Screenplay award at the Venice Film Festival ahead of earning an Independent Spirit award nomination on Tuesday for Best International Feature.
“The Disciple” is in the Marathi language and set in Mumbai, and was written, directed and edited by Chaitanya Tamhane. Netflix plans to release it on its service soon.
The film tells the story of Sharad Nerulkar, who devoted his life to becoming an Indian classical music vocalist, diligently following the traditions and discipline of the old masters, his guru and his father. But as the years go by, Sharad starts to wonder whether it’s really possible to achieve the excellence he’s striving for.
Aditya Modak, Arun Dravid, Sumitra Bhave, Deepika Bhide Bhagwat and Kiran Yadnyopavit all star in the drama. Vivek Gomber is a producer on the film.
“The story of ‘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 Cuarón – who directed ‘Roma’ and ‘Gravity.’ And now, not only has Netflix acquired it to stream to a discerning global audience,” Tamhane said in a statement. “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.’”
“I believe Chaitanya is one of the most important new voices of contemporary cinema and I’m thrilled ‘The Disciple’ will be able to be enjoyed by audiences all around the world,” Cuarón said in a statement.
Deadline first reported the news.