The White Tiger

Rags to riches story arcs are an interesting premise to tackle in comedies and dramas. They can feel narratively formulaic in concept but if they are done well, they can be an entertaining time to watch. Some of these standard premises typically start out with someone of a poor class standing who finds an opportunity to take residence in a new refined setting and goes through a physical transformation along with their emotional development. Honestly I am aware of a few examples that use this but I haven't watched much of them to point out any memorable examples. This brings us to a new entry within this topic, The White Tiger, which was written/directed by Ramin Bahrani and is based on the novel fo the same name. This was among Netflix's announced a large slate of over 70 movies they would have on their platform in 2021 and there was a little bit of buzz surrounding this. I watched it hoping for more good quality features and after finishing it, I ended up liking it but felt it needed to be more refined. 

What's it about? Taking place in 2000s India, the the story follows a poor villager who uses his wit to rise out of poverty. This tale is told from the point of view of the protagonist at some point in the future as he reflects on his life while preparing a message for business reasons. There is a good amount of commentary on the oppressive class systems in that culture on display. The experience this villager goes through has a fascinating engaging touch to it in the first half that feels natural and interesting to watch. And for the most part, the pacing is pretty smooth as it gets closer to the peak of the dramatic tension that slowly builds.

 

For all of its strengths, there are noticeable blemishes that prevents its from reach its higher potential. There is a portion in the middle section that meanders quite a bit that doesn't feel like it's progressing the plot. The larger issue lies with the third act itself in how it rushes through actions pretty quickly, adds a new minor character in the last 10-15 minutes, and has exposition that doesn't feel earned. Something minor that takes getting used to is how the dialogue switches abruptly between Hindu and English languages (especially mid-conversation) as it felt kinda weird.

How are the actors? In regards to story importance, the actors to focus on are Adarsh Gourav, Priyanka Chopra, and Rajkummar Rao. In his acting debut, Adarsh gives a great first performance impression for audiences to look at between blending his comfortable cunning and natural learning reactions in this portrayal. Priyanka provides a standout portrayal that's different from everyone else since she's observing this culture after having traveled from America and brings a good energy in her scenes. Rajkummar does a pretty good performance that have great chemistry with Adarsh and Priyanka as his evolution is handled well thanks to his acting.  

 

Overall Consensus: Although it falters its ending impact with its third act, The White Tiger is an interesting drama thanks to its mostly solid script, great acting, commentary on Indian culture, and smooth pacing. ⭑⭑⭑3/4 Runtime: 2 hours 5 minutes R

 

Reasons to watch it: You are a fan of the aforementioned actors and/or filmmaker Ramin Bahrani. You are in the mood for engaging dramas that take place in India. You like having commentary about classism culture in foreign countries. You like rags to riches storylines. You don't mind conversations that switch languages abruptly. 

 

Reasons to avoid it: You aren't a fan of the aforementioned actors and/or filmmaker Ramin Bahrani. You aren't in the mood for engaging dramas that take place in India. You are bored with rags to riches storylines. You can get annoyed with conversations that switch languages abruptly.