Loading. By Peter Rainer Special correspondent
Does a movie about a devoted modern-day practitioner of Hindustani classical music sound overly esoteric? âThe Disciple,â written and directed by Chaitanya Tamhane, is anything but. What itâs really about is the spiritual balm that great art can provide.
Sharad (Aditya Modak) is a 24-year-old vocalist in the ancient tradition who studies and performs with his longtime musical guru, or Guruji (Arun Dravid). Like his father before him in this rarefied realm, he craves renown for his artistry. But Sharadâs father (Kiran Yadnyopavit) died without achieving recognition and, although his ambitions are high, Sharad seems bound for the same path. Hearing him perform in the musical competitions he never wins, itâs clear he has talent, not greatness.
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Early in “The Disciple,” a brilliantly composed, rigorously intelligent new movie from the Indian writer-director Chaitanya Tamhane, a young man named Sharad (Aditya Modak) sits at a table offering rare musical treasures for sale. No one takes much interest or notice. Sifting idly through the CDs on display, a potential customer says he’s never heard of any of these artists, to which Sharad replies with a true believer’s conviction: “Yes, sir, but they are as good as the famous names.” You can sense him holding back: What he’d probably like to say is that they’re possibly
Photo: Netflix
Too many movies feel like they were written by guidance counselors. “Believe in yourself, and you can do anything,” they insist, cheerleading for aspiring artists, athletes, and astronauts. But what if what you want to do with your life is notoriously difficult? And what if you’re just not that great at it?
The Disciple, a wry and perceptive new drama from the Indian filmmaker Chaitanya Tamhane, shows what following your dreams looks like when those dreams are lofty on an almost historical scale. It could just as easily be called
The Discipline, for how rigorously it privileges the Sisyphean