Production has wrapped on The Method, a new drama starring Harvey Keitel as a celebrated acting teacher and marking the feature directorial debut of Indian filmmaker Gaurav Bhardwaj. The film was shot across New York and New Jersey and is expected to be released in 2027.
The story follows an Indian actor pursuing his craft within New York’s competitive acting scene, where he falls under the influence of a revered teacher played by Keitel. As the film unfolds, ambition, friendship and artistic ideals begin pulling a small group of actors in different directions. The story is centered on the pressures that come with pursuing an artistic career while navigating relationships, personal ambition and competing ideas about the creative process.
According to Variety, the central characters include an Indian actor, a Canadian actor, an American playwright and director, and Keitel’s teacher, who together form the emotional core of the story. Their individual experiences and creative ambitions provide the foundation for a drama focused on the personal and artistic challenges that can emerge within New York’s acting world.
Alongside Harvey Keitel, the film stars Mina Sundwall, Rakshit Bhuchar and Rohan Maletira. Both Bhuchar and Maletira are making their feature film debuts with the project, adding another dimension to a production that also marks Bhardwaj’s first feature as a director.
Sundwall is best known for playing Penny Robinson in Netflix’s Lost in Space, a role she held across the show’s three seasons from 2018 to 2021. She has also appeared in Maggie’s Plan alongside Julianne Moore and Ethan Hawke, as well as Freeheld and Jesus Revolution. Her television credits include the Hulu series The Graduates, for which she received a Best Performance nomination at the 2023 Tribeca Festival.
Beyond acting, Sundwall has also begun working as a director. She released her debut narrative short film, Gamble, in 2024, adding filmmaking to her work in front of the camera.
Gaurav Bhardwaj co-wrote and directed The Method, marking his first feature film. Speaking to Variety, Bhardwaj said the characters carried real personal weight for him because aspects of their creative struggles echoed moments from his own career while pursuing filmmaking. That personal connection appears to have informed the project’s focus on the challenges faced by artists trying to establish themselves while navigating the demands and uncertainties of a creative career.
The project was first introduced publicly in June, when Travelin Bone Entertainment announced Bhardwaj and Bhuchar’s collaboration. That earlier announcement did not yet include Keitel or Sundwall, who were added to the cast at a later stage. The completed project now brings together the international cast for Bhardwaj’s first feature as a director.
Rakshit Bhuchar, who both stars in and helped shape the project, has said The Method grew out of existential questions about the pace at which the world is moving. He also described Bhardwaj’s bold cinematic voice as a major reason the collaboration was exciting for him. His involvement extends beyond his role as a performer, reflecting the collaborative nature of the project from its development through production.
Harvey Keitel is a veteran of American cinema whose career has included some of the most recognized films from several major filmmakers. He is widely known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese on films including Mean Streets, Taxi Driver and The Irishman. Keitel also appeared in Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, as well as Jane Campion’s The Piano.
His filmography also includes several collaborations with Wes Anderson, including Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel and Isle of Dogs. Now 87, Keitel has continued to maintain a steady pace of work in recent years, with credits including Hellfire, The Wrecker and Paradox Effect, alongside several other projects still in various stages of release.
The Method is an English-language production made by Travelin Bone Entertainment in partnership with Imagination Infinite Motion Pictures. Travelin Bone previously co-produced Netflix’s CTRL, directed by Vikramaditya Motwane and starring Ananya Panday.
CTRL is a screenlife thriller centered on an influencer whose life begins to unravel after she asks an AI app to erase her ex-boyfriend from her digital world. The film became the number one film on Netflix for two weeks following its October 2024 release.
With The Method centered on an Indian actor navigating New York’s theater world, the film’s backers have positioned the project for audiences in both India and international markets. The combination of an Indian filmmaker and characters connected to different creative backgrounds, along with an established American actor such as Keitel, gives the project an international cast and setting.
No distributor has been announced yet. With filming now complete and a 2027 release on the horizon, The Method brings together an international cast and a first-time feature director for a story rooted in the pressures, ambitions and personal costs of pursuing acting.
For Bhardwaj, the film represents the transition from his earlier filmmaking work into his first feature. For Bhuchar and Maletira, it marks their feature-film debuts, while Keitel brings decades of experience to the role of an influential acting teacher. Sundwall, meanwhile, joins the project with experience across film and television as well as emerging work as a filmmaker.
Further details, including a trailer and distribution plans, are expected to be announced closer to release. For now, The Method remains set for a 2027 release following the completion of production in New York and New Jersey.
