The White Tiger Movie Review: Action-Packed Exploration of Social Class in India
The White Tiger is a movie on Netflix, based on a book, about an Indian man who grows up in the countryside but uses his smarts and ambition to climb his way out of poverty. The main character, Balram, navigates his way into finding work as a driver for a very wealthy and influential family. As he plays the role of the loyal and humble servant, a series of internal revelations and unfortunate events causes him to re-evaluate his role and the role of so many like him in India who live as destitute servants. Ultimately, this story explores the juxtaposition between the rich and the poor, and in this way, reminds me of Parasite just a little bit! There’s a bit of heist and crime element to the story as well, and I found this movie extremely fun to watch.
The trailer and mounting critical acclaim for The White Tiger hooked me in immediately. I think the cinematography is very beautiful, albeit grim, and the story flows very well. It really keeps you interested, because the movie starts out with the main character, Balram, talking to us from the future, and so you watch the movie wondering exactly how Balram from the past became the Balram of the present. From the visuals to the screenplay to the execution, I think this might be one of the best films I’ve watched in a really long time. There is also a lot that this movie shows you about the wealth disparity gap in India. From the very beginning, you see how smart Balram is, but due to lack of opportunity and resources, he is forced to quit school and work for his family’s “restaurant.” And then you get introduced to the characters of Ashok and Pinky, who are American educated, rich, and come from privileged families in India. While Ashok’s rich family lives in the huge hotel rooms, Balram and the other servants have to live in the basement in makeshift “rooms” infested with cockroaches. I think a lot of people will be really drawn in to the social commentary explored in this movie.
Adarsh Gourav as the main character, Balram, absolutely killed it. You follow him for pretty much the entire story and watch him transform from an innocent young boy to a hardened and independent leader. You really feel all of the injustices and terrors of his position, very well captured by Gourav’s vulnerability and presence on the screen. As dark as this movie is, there are also moments of hilarity. I thought the screenplay was truly laugh-out-loud at times, breaking through some of the grim and sad realities with a witty remark or dialogue exchange. Priyanka Chopra and Rajkummar Rao as Pinky and Ashok were also really fantastic to watch. Ashok and Pinky represent an often clouded American mindset of wanting to fix the “problems” of third world countries, such as with the culture of servitude. But when it comes down to it, the rich ultimately care about the self-preservation of their privileged lifestyles. It’s impossible to fight or break down a system that is so predominant in a country, so they go along with it and are just as guilty of injustice and cruelty as the next rich person.
In conclusion…
The White Tiger is a movie that is really well-crafted and engaging. It takes you on a wild journey of ups and downs, but maybe mostly downs because class inequality is depressing. It’s a gritty coming-of-age story that is action-packed and pretty dark at its core. Highly recommend!!!