The Disciple will ask you questions that are eternal, says Vivek Gomber

Chaitanya Tamhane’s Court (2015), a biting satire steeped in realism, opened to critical acclaim, won plenty of accolades and went on to become India’s official entry for the Oscars. It was Vivek Gomber who backed the project as a producer. He has also produced Tamhane’s next Marathi film The Disciple, which has already won quite a few awards internationally.

During an online event for Netflix, on which The Disciple will be released, Gomber looked back on what he had learnt from Court. “I have learned to continue to be fearless, I guess, and just believe in the crew; just basic things that drive you. You should believe in the script. I really, really believed in what Chaitanya had written and I wanted to make that. That saved us in Court and in The Disciple as well,” said Gomber, who also played the role of a lawyer in Court. 

Stating that the makers of Court didn’t have enough money for the kind of preparations that they had in mind, Gomber said they made sure to fix this before embarking upon The Disciple. "The film is set in the world of Indian classical music, so sound is a really important element. We wanted to go abroad to do that. So, in terms of budgeting we learnt a few things,” said the producer.

The Disciple sees musical artiste Aditya Modak play the protagonist, Sharad Nerulkar, an aspiring classical singer hailing from a middle-class family in Mumbai. The film is about the challenges he faces in his path. Modak won the Best Actor Award for his performance at the 18th International Cinephile Awards last month. 

Not surprisingly, the actor-producer can’t wait to see the film released on Netflix. “I am really hoping that when it comes onto the platform, you will be able to see the kind of work [we have done]. We have spent a year and a half on post [production]. A year and a half in prep. All those things will come together,” he said. 

Talking about the takeaways from the film, Gomber said, “Even though this story is very unique to India, it’s very universal. If you have ever done any unconventional job or profession in your life, The Disciple will make you think about certain questions, which are just eternal,” he said. 

Although Court and The Disciple have received much appreciation, Gomber pointed out that it is quite an ordeal to release such films in theatres. “When we made Court, we were very lucky to get a theatrical [release]. It takes a lot to get to the theatres; to get a film there. So, to now have platforms like Netflix, there are so many people who have reached out to us,” he said. 

Asked about his dual role as a producer and actor, Gomber said, “I have realized I am a better actor being a producer and I am a better producer being an actor because I am from the theatre background. So, I understand what you need to do behind the scenes.”