Netflix's The White Tiger Movie Review

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The White Tiger Movie Storyline:

Based on the Booker Prize-winning novel by Aravind Adiga of the same name, The White Tiger is a scathing commentary on the class friction in India. A poor village boy named Balram Halwai (Adarsh Gourav), metaphorically referred to as the White Tiger, doesn't bow down to his fate, or what he calls the 'rooster coup' of the Indian society, and decides to build his place in the society. His wish and ability to learn fast doesn't promise him a bright future and he ends up working at a tea stall instead of continuing his schooling from Delhi. But Balram isn't like the ones who give up easily and foresees a better future working as a driver to a wealthy, ruthless Stork (Mahesh Manjrekar). Stork's American-return son (Rajkummar Rao) and his wife (Priyanka Chopra) find their second driver in Balram, but always see him as someone who can do much better for himself in life. But as the story runs in flashbacks, we already see Balram as a wealthy entrepreneur in the present life but hiding and running from the cops in the case of murder.

So who does Balram, who we see as a charming and loyal servant to their master kinda boy, kill? How does he reach the position of a successful entrepreneur from an underprivileged upbringing which included discrimination based on cast, and the only way to rectify to all of it was to get married as Balram's grandmother believed? For that, you'll have to watch the film.

The White Tiger Movie Review:

Ramin Bahrani has gone for all the details, even with something that we miss in our day to day lives, Bahrani has played on those emotions pretty well. It's not easy to make a film from a novel which has already been read and loved in great numbers, after all, you know, the first impression is all that matters, but here I beg to differ. The movie runs in both the past and present world offering a bit of anticipation to the otherwise simple storyline. The scenes of slitting throats, spitting on the road, or the lewd conversations between the servants is kept real to let discomfort rule the scenes.

Talking about the acting chops, Adarsh Gourav has played Balram Halwai as if it's his own story to tell. In the scene where he's staged for a murder he didn't commit, the tornado of emotions that run in his mind, come out so well through his eyes and body language, where the camera zooms in and we see nothing but his teary eyes and a tricky smile. The duality of the rich's mind, where the more educated ones are shown to assume a humble attitude towards the poor, but deep down have their beliefs set for themselves, has been magnificently played by Rajkummar Rao and Priyanka Chopra. I have immense respect for the way Rajkummar copied that American accent for the role, even when he sings an English song in one scene, he retains his poise and throws his emotions out just the way the script dictates.

The White Tiger Movie Verdict:

There is so much to take from The White Tiger, to start with, it's a very thought-provoking film. Just like the Oscar-winning Korean film, Parasite, The White Tiger is a satire, yet triggering take on the evils of society. The direction, cinematography, dialogues, acting are in tune with the plot. Overall, this Netflix film is a must-watch.