The Disciple, written and directed by Chaitanya Tamhane and produced by Vivek Gomber of Zoo Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., has won the International Critics’ Prize awarded by FIPRESCI at the 77th Venice International Film Festival.
The last Indian film to be honoured with this award at the Venice Film Festival was Mathilukal, helmed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan, in 1990.
The award is presented by the The International Federation of Film Critics, an association of national organisations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world.
Speaking about the achievement, Chaitanya Tamhane said in a statement,
"I want to thank the FIPRESCI and its jury members from the bottom of my heart for their continued support for our work. This is a very special honour for us, given that the jury for this award comprises of film critics and journalists from around the world. We are thrilled with this fantastic beginning to the journey of The Disciple".
A review in the The Variety calls The Disciple “a nuanced look at a determined Hindustani musician”. The reviewer Jay Weissberg also mentions, “As he did with Court, Tamhane patiently constructs his characters out of small details, relying on his audience to pick up on small changes and muted shifts of tone that signal the passage of time and Sharad’s interior journey. It’s hard to imagine the film succeeding so well without lead actor Modak’s quiet concentration (not to mention vocal skills), capturing his character’s all-consuming hunger while generally projecting a never-dull placidity.”
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