The Roar of a White Tiger
By Penelope Karageorge, journalist, author and poet*
A remarkable new movie, The White Tiger, offers non-stop entertainment and an always-surprising insider’s look at a journey up the perilous ladder of success in India.
The Netflix drama, directed by Ramin Bahrani, stars Adarsh Gourav in his first leading role as Balram, who goes from rags to riches, innocence to cynicism. A brilliant boy, he’s the rare “white tiger” predicted to rise above the crowd. Forced by a greedy grandmother to quit school and work, he escapes and pushes his way into a wealthy family as a chauffeur.
Initially humble and conscientious, he’s aware of the odds. A brutal betrayal will make him as ruthless and amoral as his bosses. This dynamic film would have gained strength at this point if the characters had not so obviously divided into the “good” and “bad” guys. Balram goes almost too swiftly to the dark side, sliding down from petty theft to murder.
Speaking directly to the audience, he takes us with him from living in an underground room infested with cockroache to, at the film’s conclusion, being the well-dressed, wealthy owner of a fleet of taxis, escaping the authorities, as imperious as his former bosses.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Rajkummar Rao portray a young married couple, the beautiful people, who basically want to befriend Balram. They lend warmth and sensuality to this dark story, even when they shamelessly use Balram to save their own necks. But actor Gourav owns the film as he captures every nuance of his character’s raw ambition and desperation.
The film’s weakness is also its strength. The stereotypical bosses squeeze Balram from the top, while the grandmother bleeds him from the bottom, demonstrating how the system works to keep the poor entrapped, until one breaks the rules to come out roaring.
Based on the best-selling Booker Prize-winning novel with the same title by Aravind Adiga, the film is not to be missed.
