The action unfolds through the eyes of Balram (Adarsh Gourav), who tells his story – from 2007 – from the point of view of a newly formed tycoon, writing a letter to the Chinese Prime Minister requesting the opportunity to meet with him. The narrative then returns, revealing Balram as the “humble” servant of an imperious and corrupt family, obediently operating as his driver.
How did he get back and forth in just three years, escaping the endemic poverty that writer and director Ramin Bahrani portrays in illuminating detail? Therein lies the mystery, filling the film with a sense of foreboding that is reinforced by the narration, which at one point includes a warning that things are about to get “much darker”.
Strangers to the particulars of India’s class system may be shocked by the description of how the lives of the poor are viewed. Balram shows real academic promise as a child, before an unfortunate turnaround forces us to start working to support his family.
“I never saw the interior of a school again,” he recalls, with the same practical tone that leads to the most distressing parts of his life.
It is a notable central performance by Gourav, whose character shrewdly plots to be hired as an Ashok driver. However, his efforts to convey an outward image of happy servitude are regularly challenged, while his boss (or “master”, as Balram calls him) can activate cruelty at any time.
The book and film derive the title of the rarest of animals, suggesting the qualities that will be needed to allow Balram to jump from prey to predator, moving from humble person to the upper class problems of his current personality.
The final act is not exactly the same as the accumulation, but so far, “The White Tiger” has already set its teeth on you, making the investment in understanding Balram’s fate seem like two hours well spent.
“The White Tiger” opens on January 22 on Netflix.