The White Tiger

As a person who is not Indian nor ever been to India, I'm not sure my critique is warranted. I know India has huge issues with poverty and class systems, but is this really how it is? I'm not complaining. But I also don't want to pigeon-hole the country based on this movies portrayal.

It's a harsh film highlighting the desperate plight of just one man among the MILLIONS of poor and starving in India and his desire to ascend... no matter the cost.

The film followed the path of the book almost flawlessly.

The story of Balram is definitley rags to riches. But it is certainly not "feel good" or glamorous. India is portrayed as a brutal country and if you are not wealthy or politically wired, you're existance is simply reduced to a waiting game with death as the end result.

To sum it up in one phrase, this movie could be tagged; "Dog eat dog." Other reviewers expressed their disgust at the protagonists methods for success. But I also bet they've never been poor, let alone poor in India.

You can discuss ethics and morality from the comfort of your lounge room/home theatre all you want. It means nothing if you've never walked a mile in these people's shoes (and most don't even have those).

It's not for everyone. But that doesn't mean it's a bad film. But it is certainly confronting.

I don't know how this has some poor ratings. Script and acting of this were fabulous. And throughout whole movie you rarely look at your watch. It kept you hooked till the end. Speaking of end, it could be more dramatic or interesting but overall it was fun to watch this kind of cinema now a days. Give it a shot you won't regret.

Adarsh Gaurav stole the entire screen space. Even though his role was titular, he was pitched up against Priyanka Chopra and Rrajkumar Rao, both acting giants. Hence, coming out tops over them was no joke. His prowess in the acting department was refreshing to experience. Watch the movie especially for his performance.

A cross between 'Slumdog Millionaire' (Danny Boyle, 2007) and 'Parasite' (Bong Joon-ho, 2019), Ramin Bahrani's 'The White Tiger' roars as it expertly integrates an engrossing socio-political commentary about the rich poor divide in India with a thrilling, bitingly cynical narrative. Bahrani's direction is clear and controlled but, unfortunately, unable to develop the screenplay to the point required for success. The cast breathes some decent life into the material at times with Adarsh Gourav leads with a highly entertaining performance.

The first half is really fast paced and really pulls you in. However halfway in the movie starts to drag and the climax is not that big of a payoff. However it's still a thoroughly enjoyable movie that I highly recommend.