The White Tiger is a strong title for a strong movie.

Made in cooperation with Array, Ava DuVernay’s film distribution company, this is a striking, snappy, smart film that explores issues of class in India. 

Adarsh Gourav gives a magnificent performance as Balram Halrai, a driver that dreams of becoming more. His peers insist that Balram should be content with driving for a rich man, but Balram has his heart set on becoming an entrepreneur. Neither his conscience nor his caste will stop him! As his ambition grows, so does his disregard for morality — which ends about as well as anyone would expect. 

There’s lots to get excited about here. Paolo Carnera orchestrated some fantastic cinematography. Ramin Bahrani adapted Aravind Adiga’s award-winning novel into a beautiful script. Rajkummar Rao and Priyanka Chopra, along with a strong supporting cast, join Gourav to provide some memorable acting.  

My attention is stuck, however, on how thoughtful the film is. At first, I thought The White Tiger was going to be about the caste system in India. I felt prepared. 

And the caste system in India is criticized, sure. But the film focuses less on the issues of castes, which feel comfortably distant from Western viewers (or this Western viewer, at least), and more on the issues of class, which are prevalent in all societies. The unsettled feeling that ensues is uncomfortable, but healthy — a bit like flossing your teeth. 

From the very opening scene, we see there is a line drawn between the wealthy and the poor. And, Slumdog Millionaire style, the story follows the protagonist’s journey from one side of that line to the other. Unlike Slumdog’s Jamal Malik, though, Balram has to haul himself across using whatever means he has. As it turns out, those means are unethical, dishonest, and bloody — all characteristics, Balram insists, of a successful entrepreneur. 

While a film that forces its viewers to think may sound like too much work, The White Tiger does so with surprising grace. For example: the methods Balram employs to rise to the top are undeniably awful. We can’t really condemn him, though, because we’ve seen how horribly his superiors treat him. So where’s the middle ground? Who should we be rooting for? There is no right answer, which I think is part of the beauty of the movie.

And if you don’t want a lesson in ethics, fear not. There’s lots more to The White Tiger than philosophy and economics. It also boasts jokes and charming characters and stunning scenery.

All of this being said, viewers be warned: The White Tiger isn’t all fun and games. Its already heavy subject matter is made heavier by a gritty approach, with plenty of violence and raunchy humour. If that’s not your cup of tea, this may be a movie to avoid. (But hey — maybe you could read the book!)

To summarize:

The White Tiger a good movie, but a difficult one. Thought-provoking, but entertaining. In my opinion, it’s well worth a watch.