Review of The White Tiger (2021) by Megomike — 02 Feb 2021

The White Tiger opens with a letter being written by Balram to Chinese leadership, detailing his rise to wealth. It is a rise, he warns, that is fraught with evil deeds, but defines him as a true entrepreneur, unlike many of his statesmen among the poor.

Balram, in order to escape a life of hopelessness, arranged marriages, and poverty, has decided to become a driver for one of the wealthy and influential families in India. He enjoys driving the young couple, and even befriends them, but soon learns that having a servant’s heart will not lead him out of poverty.

In fact, despite occasional graciousness by those he serves, he is ultimately hated by those too far above his status to consider him human. A misstep by his masters sours him to his plight, and Balram discovers that it is time for the White Tiger to follow his nature.

The White Tiger was written and directed by Ramin Bahrani (Fahrenheit 451) based on the book of the same name written by Aravind Adiga. Adarsh Gourav plays Balram, the poor entrepreneurial Indian driver looking to escape the bleak future his station promises.

The wealthy couple he serves is played by Rajkummar Rao as Ashok, and his wife Pinky, played by Priyanka Chopra (Baywatch, Marvel Avengers Academy as Kamala Khan). Balram’s overbearing grandmother is played by Kamlesh Gill, and the wealthy patriarchs by Mahesh Manjrekar (Slumdog Millionaire) as the Stork, and believably gangster performance by Vijay Maurya as the family enforcer, the Mongoose.

The White Tiger follows Balram's life as yet another of the poor in India. But he knows he is different, destined for greater if only he can take advantage of the right opportunity. He manages to become discovered by a wealthy, but also politically involved and dangerous, family as the driver for the newly married son and his wife.

They enjoy Balram, befriending him, and giving him opportunities he never had, causing him to believe he discovered the life he dreamed of. But, being of a lower caste also makes you expendable, as Balram discovers when he is asked to take the blame for an accident caused by Pinky.

As Balram considers his rapidly deteriorating relevance to his current position, he views a White Tiger, rare, one to a generation, dangerous, as he could be. I recommend this movie as a stunningly filmed documentary of the many facets of India, and on the strength of Balram.

While the movie has many strong performances, it is the fluidity of Adarsh Gourav’s Balram, meek and strong, servant and villain, that White Tiger relies on to strengthen its grander ethical themes.

The movie and writer may find some love from the Academy this year, but it is Gourav that deserves the most acclaim, and possibly an Oscar nod. On the strength of the story and his performance I give the White Tiger 3.

5/5 Stars.