The White Tiger (2021) Movie Review
The White Tiger is a Netflix original movie that has garnered some buzz during award season. Writer and director Ramin Bahrani has done a mix of projects but I had never seen any of his work, so I was excited to view this movie with fresh eyes. The White Tiger follows a precocious young man named Balram Halwai (Adarsh Gourav) living in India. He is from a poor village and dreams of escaping his situation and becoming a rich man. He finagles his way into becoming the driver for a rich couple, Ashok (Rajkummar Rao) and Pinky (Priyanka Chopra-Jonas). They have just returned from America and Balram is appalled (and inspired) by Pinky’s attitude and beliefs about the world.
Balram narrates the movie the entire time, so while events are happening you hear voice-overs explaining the mindset of those living in India. He reiterates that he has been trained by society to be one thing: a servant. And he’s very good at it. He does a variety of things for the family: driving them around, giving massages, picking up food and other items. Things are going along smoothly until one night, Pinky and Ashok get drunk and Pinky gets behind the wheel. The night ends in tragedy and Balram winds up having to take the fall. After this, Balram makes the decision to rebel and make his own way to the top.
The White Tiger has several things that make it an enjoyable watch. Gourav puts in an excellent performance as Balram, blending naïveté and lofty ambition into a believable and likable package. His narration throughout the movie helps ground the story and provides background when necessary. It was a unique case of voice over adding to the movie rather than becoming a nuisance. Rao and Chopra-Jonas have good chemistry together and play rich people perfectly. In fact, The White Tiger gave me Parasite vibes with its commentary on rich people and the lengths they go to protect themselves. “It’s easy to be nice if you’re rich” is a common thread here but it’s balanced by a very jarring display of, “It’s easy to be horrible if you’re rich” too.
My only qualm with the movie is that it dragged a bit. It’s two hours and five minutes but it felt longer and I wish they had cut out about twenty minutes and gotten to the ending quicker. The tension didn’t build as much as I wanted so I was left with the wind taken out of my sails a bit. That being said, The White Tiger is supremely entertaining. Gourav proves he can carry a movie with a wit and earnestness that makes you root for him. It’s a classic underdog tale. You will be rooting for Balram to rise to the top while wondering how on earth he can possibly get there. Writer and director Ramin Bahrani infuses The White Tiger with other interesting themes like privilege, greed, politics, and class, turning this underdog story into a revealing portrayal of India in the modern world.
Film or Movie: Movie
You’ll like this movie if:
1. You like underdog stories
2. You like examinations of class
3. You like movies about India
