The White Tiger

 This review may contain spoilers!

 

The White Tiger is a story about a poor Indian villager's struggle to escape poverty by manipulating and breaking free from his rich masters. What I enjoyed most about this narrative was how it took a deep look around what true poverty in India looks like, offering a glimpse that isn't softened by silver linings such as 2008's Slumdog Millionaire. In fact the film even makes a pointed dig at this type of storytelling, offering the alternative that instead of a chance miracle to escape it takes a cruel cut of ambition. The White Tiger reveals how large an extent of the Indian population live in poverty while also discussing how this need to live in servitude to another class is almost bred into social mentality from a young age. Watching our protagonist, Balram, struggle by his dying father's side for days while no doctor comes in aid or seeing him physically abused by his employers at a whim is a harsh but constant reminder of an unjust aspect of our world. The soundtrack for this film has a strong blend of Indian and American music, which really fits the narrative structure of the film, even heightening this dark and twisted tale of ambition.

 

Rajkummar Rao, who played Ashok, is an immensely charismatic individual and it is interesting watching his good nature wilt over the duration of the feature; Rao has this intense sincerity about him that makes whatever emotion he portrays in a scene very convincing. Mahesh Manjrekar and Vijay Maurya, who played The Stork and The Mongoose respectively, are really dominant as the antagonists of the feature; I liked Manjrekar's cool temper as the leader of his family while Maurya's blunt aggression made him an excellent thug. 

 

However, the best performance came from Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who played Pinky Madam. There is a sense of almost complete detachment from the wealthy family who govern over our protagonist in CHopra Jonas' role. Pinky is a free-spirited, independent individual who isn't afraid to raise her voice or offer her opinion in what is clearly a patriarchal criminal household. Chopra Jonas has this way of radiating immense amounts of joy, having developed a very close chemistry with her onscreen-partner, Rao. She is constantly a point of challenge in the film; challenging authority and even the class system that Balram has to adhere to. Yet as the feature continues and we see Pinky's empathy only extends so far it becomes interesting to see the cracks in her righteousness, and even the moments in which she wrongs our lead role. Chopra Jonas plays a kind-hearted role with a range of portraying happiness to intense grief, to insightful wisdom. One of her best characters in years.

 

The White Tiger has all the potential to tell a well-crafted story about the class system and poverty in India, a story that even bears some resemblance to an Indian Parasite. However, unlike Prasite the film crumbles apart with the focus of the main narrative, that being the character of Balram. Balram isn't a character you are ever really taught how to like in the film, you feel bad for his life but as a person he is mean-spirited and quick to betray anyone else in the story at the drop of a hat. His entire rags to riches story actually all happens very quickly, mostly all taking place in a very anti-climatic final act. The first two acts are this sluggish examination of his life as a servant, showcasing his steady detachment from his family and how warped his way of thinking becomes due to ambition. The film never engages me as a viewer because the leading role isn't a compelling character, his story has been done before in a far better manner. The film also features this incessant narration that is quite grating and often feeds you more exposition than is ever really necessary; even going so far as to give away plot points before they happen. The cinematography and the editing both boast a lot of potential in some scenes but for a lot of the feature there is some very clunky camerawork and cuts that slow the pacing right down.

Adarsh Gourav, who played Balram, really struggles as the leading performer of the film; Gourav is often overshadowed in scenes with other cast members and tends to overact whenever he is placed in a moment by himself to compensate. Nalneesh Neel, who played Vitiligo, is a creepy role that seems forced in for some perverse comedic relief, yet Neel struggles to draw a laugh and his role's presence only creates a tone of discomfort. Kamlesh Gill and Sanket Shanware, who played Granny and Kishan respectively, aren't very compatible with Gourav as a family unit; no one interacts in a way that makes me convinced that they have that type of bond and Gill's inability to portray authority causes some scenes to fall flat.

A hollow and dull effort to capture the spark that 2019's Parasite already mastered. I would give The White Tiger a 4/10.