The White Tiger

Director: Ramin Bahrani 
Starring: Adarsh Gourav, Rajkummar Rao, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Mahesh Manjrekar, Vijay Maurya, Kamlesh Gill, Swaroop Sampat, Vedant Sinha, Nalneesh Neel
Running Time: 125 min.
Rating: R

★★★ ½ (out of ★★★★) 

What stands out most in Ramin Bahrani's The White Tiger is how unpredictable it is, at least for those who haven't read Aravind Adiga's novel on which its Oscar-nominated screenplay is based. Supposedly, this doesn't stray too far from that, which is a relief since it seems to be one of those cases where there's little need to fix what isn't broken. Premiering on Netflix in that strange awards season grey area of late 2020-early 2021, it slipped through the cracks when it most definitely warranted mention among the past year's heaviest hitters. Comparisons to Slumdog Millionaire are unavoidable given the material, but Bahrani transcends it, in the process addressing the issues detractors of that Best Picture winner have long complained about. This is grittier, its script a a bit more sharply focused, and it's more likely to be mistaken for a true story than a feel-good fairy tale. There's something to be said for the approach 99 Homes director Bahrani takes, as it's constantly firing on all cylinders in terms of its writing, directing and performances as it reaches its exhilarating halfway mark. You get this feeling that almost literally anything could happen and it would make sense, which is a very good place for a story to occupy.

Working with the relatively straightforward premise of a young boy attempting to escape servitude in an Indian caste system, Bahrani takes us on many wild and unpredictable detours full of dark humor and excitement without losing grip on the central conceit. It all builds to a single moment we're sure will have to eventually arrive, even without an exact idea of the means he'll use to get there. It's one of those movies where you're just completely lost in the world and care about each and every character who inhabits it, regardless of the size or importance of their role. Every relationship is important because the script and performances make it so, providing a breakthrough of sorts for its relatively unknown lead, who must sell the most challenging of slow building transformations. It becomes less about how far the young man's willing to go to free himself from a seemingly inescapable trap than the painful sacrifices he'll need to make to do it.     

It's 2010 when Indian entrepreneur Balram Halwai (Adarsh Gourav) requests a meeting with the Chinese premier, in the process relaying his life story, which flashes back to when he was a young boy in Laxmangarh. A bright student, he was removed from school and forced to work in the village by his grandmother (Kamlesh Gill) when his father became unable to pay their landlord, known as "The Stork." (Mahesh Manjrekar) In the years following his father's sudden death from tuberculosis, a teen Balram harbors aspirations to become a chauffeur for the Stork's son, Ashtok (Rajkummar Rao) who recently returned from the U.S. with his American-raised wife, Pinky (Priyanka Chopra Jonas). 

After talking his way into the job as Ashtok's driver and sending money to his brother and grandmother back home, Balram takes a liking to his master and friendly wife despite the mistreatment he receives from the Stork and thuggish older son, Mukesh "The Mongoose" (Vijay Maurya). But when a horrific accident causes Balram to question everything he's believed up to that point, it serves as a harsh reminder he may never escape this future of indentured servitude. Now, he must decide whether he wants to take the risk of trying to break this vicious cycle and build a new life, despite all the potentially dangerous consequences such a move could carry.  

The film's biggest surprise is that its plot doesn't involve anything related to the drug or criminal  underworld , which for some reason seemed to be heavily implied by the tone and style of its trailer. But it's one of Bahrami's most impressive accomplishments that this does still feel like a Scarface-like ascent despite sharing very little else in common with that picture. But while illegal activities do take place, this situation is more dependent on class, wealth and politics than it is violent crime, with much  revolving around Balram using his intelligence and cunning to escape the poverty and servitude he and his family have been inherently sentenced to through this caste system. 

With a recurring voiceover from Balram that likens his predicament to being stuck in a chicken coop, you get the impression that he, like so many at his class level, could have easily resigned himself to that fate. The glimmer of hope he finds in working as a driver seems substantive, mainly because Gourav's performance as Balram is so full of smiling, wide-eyed optimism. The reverence he has for his master doesn't seem out of place, as Ashtok not only seems to be the most Americanized and progressive of Stork's family, but the smartest. He takes the young man under his wing, appearing to be genuinely interested in his future and treating him with a respect the rest of his family can't even bother faking. Not that they'd even want to try. 

All of this goes double for Ashtok's wife, Pinky, who Chopra plays as the ultimate voice of reason, and possibly Balram's biggest cheerleader, standing up for him at every turn simply because it's the right thing to do. And then it happens. A catastrophic event occurs that forces everyone's true colors to the surface, much to Balram's detriment, as he's reminded of the true extent of his expendability to this wealthy family. But if the young driver's lowly life status is already etched in stone, so is his master's, with the difference being that he's already surrendered to being his family's doormat. Unlike his wife, he can't rock the boat and won't even if it temporarily eases his conscience to talk about helping Balram. 

When push comes to shove, Ashtok won't risk his wealth or station to better his servant's life and risk  being poentially cut off by a system that's far bigger and more poweful than himself. In this sense, there's a lot more going on in Rajkummar Rao's deceptively complex performance than he'll likely get credit for.  American-born Pinky is far different, standing alone as the film's most morally unambiguous figure, unwaveringly consistent in fearlessly pushing back against her husband and in-laws' behavior. It isn't a huge role, but for a period, Chopra completely takes over and impresses in a big way, as their ethically intense marital dynamic finds Balram torn right down the middle. 

In what should be a definitive star-making performance, Adarsh Gourav proves to be a major find as Balram, with the actor's anonymity working to the story's favor much like it did for Dev Patel in Slumdog. But this role seems tougher, largely because it isn't just a rags to riches tale that ends triumphantly as audiences root on its protagonist the entire time. There's more nuance, as Balram undergoes some pretty serious changes as a result of his experience, and as his exposure to humanity's dark side of suffering and selfishness increases, so too does his anger and determination to rise above it. He lies, steals, cheats and a whole lot worse while still retaining the sheepish, underdog qualities we assumed would be immune to any kind of corruption when he was a little boy. Gourav subtly shines a light on all of his character's complexities as we contemplate the amount of blame that can really be placed on Balram for actions it seems he needs to take to survive. 

Was there even a choice? A better way? Those are the questions Bahrani leaves us to wrestle with, including whether Balram really has ended this vicious cyle, or merely just aided in its neverending continuation by becoming what he's hated most. Or maybe not. There are hints he may operate differently, with the knowledge he's gained potentially helping those beneath him. But if The White Tiger shows us anything it's that we shouldn't hold our breath, as his ongoing story further confirms the cold, harsh realization that many most aren't as fortunate enough as he was to make it out to the other side.