On the banks of the Ganges in Varanasi, two boys enter a revered Hindu school where lessons in ancient scripture blur into something more troubling.
Eleven-year-olds Satyarth and Hari join a traditional Sanskrit institution run by charismatic Guru Avimuktesh, shaving their heads, donning saffron robes and severing ties with the outside world. What initially appears as rigorous spiritual education gradually reveals a deeper intent, as devotion to ancient texts becomes entangled with caste hierarchy, religious prejudice and nationalist ideology. As the year unfolds, the two boys diverge: Hari absorbs the Guru's worldview while Satyarth quietly resists, finding his own connection to the language on his own terms. Filmed with rare, intimate access, Disciples captures how faith and identity are shaped in childhood, raising urgent questions about what is really being taught when no one is watching.
-
Competitions
-
Topics
-
Premiere statusWorld premiere
Film details
-
Director(s)Pankaj Johar, Sunaina Kapoor
-
Country(s)India, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Qatar
-
Year2026
-
Duration81 mins
-
Executive producer(s)Preeti Basra
-
Producer(s)Pankaj Johar / Penny Wise Films Pvt Ltd, Sunaina Kapoor, Mette Hoffmann Meyer, Hans Robert Eisenhauer, Christian Aune Falch
-
CinematographyPankaj Johar, Manohar Naik
-
EditingAlejandro Valdes Rochin, Pankaj Johar
-
SoundJørgen Meyer, Audun Røstad
-
Language(s)Hindi, Sanskrit
-
Sales CompanyPankaj Johar / Penny Wise Films Pvt Ltd
-
Certification
