Review: THE WHITE TIGER

 

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga is 2008 Man Booker Prize Winner which was recently adapted as a netflix movie and was released 2 days ago. I had baught the book last year on 26th of January 2020 out of curiosity. I don't quite remember, maybe I saw it on my recommendation page on amazon shopping app after a previous purchase of another book named SHANTARAM from the same seller.

Today I saw the movie and wanted to capture my thoughts about it in comparison and in parallel to the book.

SPOILERS AHEAD⚠️

This story is about a driver turned entrepreneur BALRAM. In my eyes he is both protagonist and antagonist of this story, both victim and culprit. He is the rooster that became white tiger..

The movie unlike the book starts on one of the main events of the story. I liked how in the book the story was written in form of an invitation/confession letter.

Sitting in his air-conditioned office, he pens down his journey so far to Mr. Premier (prime minister of china) who was visiting India and acc.to the announcer on all India radio was interested in meeting Indian entrepreneurs and hear the story of their success from their own lips. 

Balram Halwai. A boy from the extremely poor strata of Society. For whom growing up was never easy . Who sees only two kinds of men - the men with big bellies aka rich people and men with small bellies. He watches his master and learn things often humiliated and treated badly he still remains loyal to his master. He believes he is like that because of how eversince the birth being a slave was engraved in his mind just like a rooster in a cage.

The character of balram is beautifully potrayed by Adarsh . The rage , the hunger to be someone, the need to escape the coop all the emotions come alive watching his performance. 

The hierarchy shown in the movie reminded me of last year's oscar winner parasite. How the poor people , the forgotten ones are left behind to live in unbearable conditions. His life is of almost no value. The climax of the movie is a dilemma for audience as it shows balram as lucifer ( angel turned devil) .Story also shows political corruption and bribery

The cinematography is done beautifully keeping in mind the scenario and mood of the whole plot. It is that one movie which makes you uncomfortable about its characters cz their next step is not guessable. A characters decision are based of it's nature behaviour and personality but the character of characters in this movie leaves you baffled in sense of what's right and what's wrong. It is one of the brightest well made movies made in India. Will still say Althrough I liked the book better as it dives deeper in why balaram took each step what were his thoughts about several other things the movie surely isn't a dissapointment ,it surely does wraps the atmosphere of book in those 2 hrs.

For me other highlight than almost similar story to the book was divine's music ( the theme song- jungle mantra) 

Will put lyrics:

Yeah, gotta get mine any means,

Never sleep, I don't get tired

Feeling big time,

I don't want a penny pinch, tryna flip dimes

What's your life like? Here's mines

Highspeed chase, ever seen pigs fly?

Slaves to the bag, just hatin'

My blackness all 'cross the atlas

Fatal attraction, money like magnets

Yeah, I gotta have it, I'm a fanatic

Chasin' it, takin' it, playin' in traffic

Get it and stack it,

You livin' average, not in my bracket

Hustling a habit,

Then put what I earn in my casket, ashes to ashes

I honestly loved the wordplay in rap. It is a must watch movie.

The movie is available on netflix and what other day than Republic day to watch this . Set in India with Indian actors from an indian origin author..the life of white tiger. 

Edit : just in the actor Gourav(balram) earned a nomination in the Best Actor category at the Independent Spirit Awards as well as making it to the long list of BAFTA nominations for best actor, along with international stars such as Tom Hanks, Anthony Hopkins and Ralph Fiennes.