Chaitanya Tamhane’s second feature The Disciple, which premiered and won accolades at the prestigious Venice International Film Festival last year, dropped on Netflix last week. The deeply reflective piece of work enters the hallowed spaces of Indian classical music, gently probing themes of devotion, mysticism, spirituality, learning and performance through the character of classical singer Sharad Nerulkar (Aditya Modak), who is inducted into the form by his father, and is desperate to attain mastery and purpose. 

mid-day played fly on the wall as Tamhane engaged in conversation with noted Carnatic vocalist TM Krishna, touching on the nuances of the guru-shishya parampara, the true meaning of artistry, Kishori Amonkar, individualism and the weight of history, the pursuit of fame and the rigidity inherent in this historically Brahmanical, middle-class tradition.