An image of Chaitanya Tamhane The disciple (courtesy the_Biennale)
Strong points
- “It’s an overwhelming feeling,” said Chaitanya Tamhane
- “I would like to thank the Venice Film Festival for this faith”, he added.
- The film festival will be held from September 2 to September 12
New Delhi:
National award-winning director Chaitanya Tamhane’s new Marathi film The disciple was selected in the Competition section of the 77th Venice Film Festival. The disciple will represent India at the prestigious festival with Ivan Ayr Meel Patthar (Milestone), which will be won in the Horizons category. The gala, which will be held from September 2 to 12 on the Lido, will be the first major international cinematic event to take place physically since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Competition section welcomes up to 20 feature films from around the world for a world premiere, while Horizons (Orizzonti) is an international competition dedicated to films representing new aesthetic and expressive trends in world cinema.
Tamhane The disciple, a 127-minute feature film, stars Aditya Modak, Arun Dravid, Sumitra Bhave and Kiran Yadnyopavit. It was produced by Mr. actor Vivek Gomber through his Zoo Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.
The disciple marks Tamhane’s return to Venice after winning Best Picture – Orizzonti and Lion Of The Future Award for Court in 2014.
Court, a poignant commentary on the Indian justice system, also won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in 2015 and was India’s official entry for Best Foreign Film at the 2016 Oscars. Tamhane called the selection for The disciple in the competition segment “a milestone” for Indian independent cinema.
“Over the past 76 years, the competition in Venice has presented some of the absolute best films in cinema history. It’s an overwhelming feeling to know that The disciple was selected for this honor. I would like to thank the Venice Film Festival for once again showing this faith in my work after the Court. This is an important milestone not only for us, but also for the Indian independent cinema movement, ”Tamhane said in a statement.
Producer Gomber also called it a historic moment for Indian cinema. “I hope this will put a global spotlight on our Indian film fraternity and make it easier for the new voices in our country to have a chance to follow their paths and their dreams,” he added.
Ayr’s Meel Patthar (Milestone) is a 98-minute feature film, starring Suvinder Vicky and Lakshvir Saran.
The director’s most recognized work is crime drama Soni. The film, which was later released on Netflix, received positive reviews for its comments on patriarchy across classes and the performance of its lead actors Geetika Vidya Ohlyan and Saloni Batra as two Delhi policemen.
Soni premiered in the Horizons section of the 75th Venice International Film Festival.
Mira Nair’s Monsoon wedding was the last Indian film to appear in the main competition of the Venice Film Festival and win the coveted Golden Lion in 2001.
Hollywood star Cate Blanchett is the chairman of the main jury for the competition this year. Recent Festival titles include world famous films such as Roma, Joker and The Birdman.
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
