'There is constant tension in "The Disciple" between what is pure and what is changing'

Tamhane: I got fascinated and obsessed with the world of Indian classical music without any agenda and without a film in mind. It was super organic. After a few months I acknowledged the reality staring me in the face: that I can’t think of anything else, so I should channelize my creative energies into this world. The germ of the idea comes from the play ‘Grey Elephants in Denmark’, which Vivek and I had done together. Those themes and conflict had never left us, so without any judgement or goal, I just immersed myself in that world. I just soaked all of it in. The process of fitting it into a script happened much later but I really did revel in the liberating and most enjoyable process of meeting people, stalking musicians on social media, attending concerts, etc.

Is it true that it took you 22 months to write page one?

Tamhane: Yes, because it’s all about that first page and the courage to start. Once the first page is done, the last page takes care of itself. Once you jump off the cliff there is no turning back, but first one must gather courage to get to that first page.

As a producer, how did you deal with that?

Tamhane: Vivek has more faith in me than I do. Even if I had taken 36 months he would have been OK.

Gomber: After making a debut with Court, at his age (Tamhane was 28 when the film released), winning a National Award, being India’s entry to the Oscars and a film that we released ourselves, well, there was a lot of noise. The Disciple is really all about his fascination with the subject. He needed to take the time to find his subject and I was only too happy to wait.

The story looks at the purist approach to classical arts juxtaposed with modernist commercial entertainment. Chaitanya, Where do you stand on this debate?

Tamhane: The only aspect in which I am a purist is in my authenticity. I want to be truthful to my expression, what emotions I want to express, my gaze and my intent. The purity is in the process. Outside of that it is not fair to judge something as pure or impure because even the classical music that we hear now is not the music being played 100 years ago. The way we understand the ragas Yaman or Malkauns today are not the way they were sung 300 years ago. That is the process of evolution. Indian classical music is such a traditional art form yet, to tell the story, we have used cutting edge 21^st century equipment and all kinds of technology and visual effects. There is constant tension between what is pure and what is changing, what is contemporary and what lies between them. That’s something each one of us has to answer.

How challenging was it to cast this film?

Tamhane: It was the biggest challenge. How do you find someone who speaks Marathi, is a musician, fits the character and has an impulse for acting? It drove us crazy. For a year we harassed every single Marathi-speaking musician in Maharashtra and requested him to audition. Ultimately we found Aditya, but even that was a leap of faith. Vivek had a big role to play in how his performance shaped up. When I met Aditya he was 15-20 kg heavier than we had imagined Sharad. He was not fitting the character but he is an extremely talented musician who was great at his audition. And he was interested in doing this. So Vivek said we’d train him, make him lose that weight and gain it again later for the second chapter. To Aditya’s credit, he took up the challenge - mentally, physically and psychologically.

Music is another intricate element. How did you design the soundscape?

Tamhane: It was such a pleasure to collaborate with scholar, historian and accomplished musician Aneesh Pradhan. He became one with the story and the narrative. He understood that we needed to exercise economy in this medium where we cannot show an entire concert while also keeping in mind the overall graph of the soundscape, including individual pieces, and how they are reflecting Sharad’s state of mind.

Gomber: I first met him at the Rolex Mentor & Protégé Arts Initiative ceremony in Germany in 2018. At first I had thought that having a mentor could be scary because you don’t want someone to come in and corrupt something or someone. I didn’t know where the journey after Court would go. I was nervous but also encouraged when I met Alfonso. And CT would tell me about what was going on in Mexico. Then I felt very confident that CT has a friend who is such an experienced international director who is working in Los Angeles and all over the world.

Tamhane: I can’t quantify what I got from him or his contribution. I have known Alfonso for five years now. I was on the sets of Roma and I have seen him during production and post-production. He knew about my film when it was just a germ of an idea. He had read the first draft and seen the first cut and guided us at every stage. He was always respectful, never interfering or didactic. One of the things he did was to recommend Michal Sobocinski, the cinematographer of the film. He also persuaded me to edit the film myself. When I was struggling with how to explain the context – Indian classical music – how do I do the exposition - his advice was don’t do it. That liberated me, which is why you see there is no explanation about this music. And then he put in the machinery for the film to travel the world and go to all these international festivals.

Gomber: Only after watching the film and saying loved it did he say he would like to attach his name to it, but only if Vivek is comfortable with it. That is such complete generosity. Alfonso’ support has been unconditional and he’s here because he believes in the film.

Just as the film explores the guru-shishya parampara, what has the role of mentors been in your life Chaitanya?

Tamhane: I have been lucky enough to have gurus who consider themselves to be my friends – Alfonso, Vivek, Ram Ramanathan. But the truth is that my voice would not exist without them. They have shaped me, empowered me and made me who I am today. But in Indian classical music the guru-shishya parampara operates within a more formal framework. It is meant to be, and was, a serious, lifelong commitment where you only learn from one guru and knowledge is transmitted orally. You live with and serve the guru and imbibe a way of life. That has changed now. It has become more commercial. For instance I hear of students who hop from one guru to another. Some musicians have described it as a supermarket of gurus. At the same time, this tradition has given us so many geniuses, great musicians and great music. It’s a complex and fascinating subject.

Sharad has to acknowledge that he may have chosen the wrong path or that there is a gap in his understanding.

Tamhane: The conflict of The Disciple is universal. I feel every field is undergoing a transition in these times, within and outside of the pandemic. Wouldn’t you say that journalism has changed drastically since you entered journalism and for the reasons you entered the field? Wouldn’t those changes make you question if this is something you want to do? These questions are universal because nothing is static. Artists especially have a lot of self-doubt. As for Sharad, I don’t know if he made the wrong choice – it’s so tricky to define success, failure, what gives you joy, what gives you rewards, what’s your purpose in life is and what you are good at. These are some of the questions The Disciple raises.

What are you working on next? Or will it be 22 months before page one is written?

Tamhane: I have flirted with two different ideas, but right now my focus is on the release of The Disciple on Netflix. Then I will clear my mind. Something is brewing in mind and I hope it doesn’t take 22 months to write page one.

Also read: Review | 'The Disciple': The loneliness of the long practising singer