Oscar-winner Alfonso Cuarón has come aboard as executive producer of Chaitanya Tamhane's The Disciple. The Marathi film will be screened in the competition section of the Venice Film Festival next month. Scheduled from September 2 to September 12, it is one of the first film festivals to be held in the wake of the pandemic with strict social distancing guidelines and screenings in outdoor venues.

The Gravity (2013) and Roma (2018) director met Tamhane at a mentorship programme where the Mexican filmmaker had the opportunity to watch his directorial debut, Court (2014). Cuarón was impressed by Tamhane's "fearless confidence" to tell stories. He considers him "an important new voice of contemporary cinema." For Tamhane, it is surreal to have Cuarón as part of The Disciple, which is produced by Vivek Gomber.