THE WHITE TIGER' REVIEW: A TASTE OF REALITY

Ramin Bahrani is back with another hit "The White Tiger" which has been adopted from the 2008 Booker Prize Winner novel of the same name, "The White Tiger". "The White Tiger" is a satirical depiction of independent India which sets light on the caste system, feudalism, corruption, patriarchy, and poverty prevalent in the country. Balram Halwai (Adarsh Gourav), the main character of the movie,belongs to a caste of 'sweet makers.' As a young boy Balram is considered to be a bright student by his teachers and impressed by his performance, a teacher even promises to send him to the country's glorious capital, Delhi. However,fate had something else in store for this yung boy filled with dreams. The movie is a roller-coaster ride of emotions that takes one back to the innocence of childhood and abruptly brings back the harsh reality of adulthood. It mocks the 'socialist' government and their empty promises with the punch line 'Election promises had taught me how important it is not to be a poor man in a free democracy.' Balram's voice speaks volumes for the 0.01% of the population whodare to question the system and escape the 'rooster-coop.' The rooster-coop is a symbolic representation of the condition of depressed classes in India. The servants in India are raised and brought up to be servants as their dreams are shattered in the game of politics, casteism, feudalism, and corruption. The only way of escaping is to either commit a crime or join politics. In the film, despite, being a bright student as a kid, Balram has to quit his schooling to support his family financially. Fast forward, he starts to work in a tea-stall. However, unlike his brother, he's unable to accept his reality and still aspires to rise above his social status. Finally, Balram gets his final chance as he's appointed as the zamindar's son's chauffeur. He's a loyal servant but he's also often drawn towards the glamour of 'freedom'. The first half of the movie portrays Balram's inner struggle between servitude and the want of freedom. In the second half, Balram finally decides to liberate himself from the rooster-coop. But, what will he choose, crime or politics? The film is filled with symbolism. In recent years, there has been a rise in the use of symbols in movies. In this movie, 'basement for drivers' can closely be associated with the devastating living conditions of the poor who are devoid of the light of hope. In a scene, Balram is mesmerized by the city lights but as he decides to convey his joy to his master, he was pushed aside and shown the way to the basement, which symbolizes the shattering of dreams of the poor by the people born with a silver spoon. The movie also questions the meaning of 'educated', in one of the scenes, Balram can be seen making up stories for his masters while driving them through the countryside, the masters don't question him and blindly follows whatever is stated by him, this scene points towards the clear ignorance of countryside by people living in the urban area and thus the term 'educated fools'. The characters in the movie have justified their roles. It was interesting to see Adarsh Gourav in his first leading role. The movie also stars Priyanka Chopra as Pinky and Rajkumar Rao as Ashok. The ending of the movie leaves the audience in a state of confusion regarding the morality and righteousness of Balram, the protagonist of the movie, and the future of a country with socialism, secularism, and democracy ingrained in its constitution. -Seema Daimary PG 1st Semester Department of Communication and Journalism Gauhati University