The White Tiger: Movie Review

Getting out of poverty is never an easy thing to do in any circumstances. Mix it in with India's caste system then it would be almost impossible. "The White Tiger" provided an interesting and harrowing look into such a scenario. While we are unsure on its accuracy, the tale it told was one that we found moving and captivating in so many levels.

Balram Hawai (Adarsh Gourav) hails from the town of Laxmangarh and is from a low caste. At a young age, he has shown brilliance but this all goes to waste as he is forced to work at his family's tea shop and stop schooling. When he is older, Balram wants to improve his life and gets an idea to become the driver of his family's landlord. Surprisingly, he accomplishes this task being assigned the number two driver to the landlord's son Ashok (Rajkummar Rao) and his wife Pinky (Priyanka Chopra). At first, Balram is contented with his improved role in life but he eventually realizes that he needs and wants to be more. But escaping poverty is not an easy task and also means risking and sacrificing everything - including his morals and family.

Fatalistic and harrowing. "The White Tiger" won't be an easy experience for viewers by the time the credits roll. In a society that worked on inequality, injustice, and corruption, the lines in between are definitely very grey and very hazy when it came to its narrative. That slight vagueness in its morality and ethics could make or break the film for some audiences. But for us, it was its biggest asset. It gave the film this sense of authenticity with its presentation and the various societal problems that it presented and there's a delicate balance that didn't devolve the whole experience into poverty porn in our opinion. Central to this authentic feel were the lead actors. Adarsh Gourav was simply stellar as the cunning and devious Balram. He was able to grab our attention and emotions when he was being maltreated and made us extremely disturbed when he turned into a different animal in the second half of the film. Admittedly, Priyanka Chopra's character was the weakest link. For us, her character was written off too early in the film. Visually, the film was great and was able to capture the beauty and chaos of its setting. Overall, "The White Tiger" had a lot to say about the injustices in our world. Not only in the context of India but in each country - rich or poor, developed or undeveloped. This tale serves as both a warning and an eye-opener on how we should treat each other whichever side of the coin you may find yourself in.

Rating: 4 and a half reels

Why you should watch it:
- a harrowing yet moving tale of injustice and poverty

Why you shouldn't watch it:
- some may find its vagueness when it came to its morality and message a little bit too much