Analysis of The Disciple: A challenging drama from a master-in-the-making Chaitanya Tamhane

The music in The Disciple reminds me of the scene in La La Land where Ryan Gosling's Seb, a lifelong jazz fan, discusses jazz to Emma Stone's Mia, who believes it's elevator music. Seb, on the brink of passing out, states, “It is not relaxing.” “Every moment, there is tension, resolution, and something different. “It's a thrilling prospect.”

The Disciple, director Chaitanya Tamhane's second feature film, features many scenes in which discerning audiences assemble to enjoy a showcase of Indian classical music. They softly bob their heads, their bodies swaying in time with the ‘raagas.' Foreign journalists who saw the film at the Venice and Toronto International Film Festivals have described the music as "soothing," maybe mistaking it for what you'd hear in a Taj lobby or at Saravana Bhawan, as Mia did.