The White Tiger (2021) Review

This film came to Netflix on Friday and I made out 2 hours of my day to watch The White Tiger and here is my review for it. The premise of the film sees a young Indian Driver attempt to rise from servant to master and reach the top. 

Main Character

Adarsh Gourvav is an inexperienced actor but he plays the lead here and I thought he was fantastic. He shows so much range in this film, he has to play different roles as his character progresses on his journey and Gourav nails it and delivers pretty much every scene no matter what it requires him to do. His character is fascinating and complex too with you really questioning whether you are meant to root for him or not and it is really well done. 

Supporting Characters 

Priyanka Chopra is the most familiar name in the film for a western audience and she is also really good here. She feels a bit like an outsider towards the other characters and her relationship with Gourav is one of the best things about the film and for the most part I thought she was the most likeable person in the film. Rajkummar Rao plays her husband and he is also very good, he is more then just your average rich guy and he sells his role well and you see how complex a life he leads and how his character plays in the journey of Gourav's character. The rest of the cast are also good and add plenty to the scenes that they are a part of. 

Story 

The story is good, it is interesting seeing the journey of this man from rags to riches and the film creates interesting characters and ones that are complex and make you want to watch. The twists and turns feel appropriate and not too overblown and it builds and builds to a decent conclusion. Though the one thing I will say is that the final act of the film can't keep up the quality and I have to admit I kind of wanted to see more of Gourav's character when he made it to the top of the mountain, this element isn't given enough time for sure. 

Script

The script is decent, there is a blend of humour and drama and for me the drama was handled better. There are some pretty intense scenes and I grew to care about what was going on and how it affected the characters. But yeah I think towards the beginning of the film it wanted you to laugh more and I just didn't, I chuckled a couple of times but nothing major. Also the use of voice over is overused here and I think the film could have done with fewer instances of this. 

Style 

The style shows India really well and I felt like I really experienced India and not like some other Bollywood films that I have seen and credit to the film for that. But this film has a bit of a pacing issue, I think if the final act was shortened and tightened up it would have been a way more effective experience. 

Overall

Overall, this is a good film. It tells an interesting story with interesting characters and if you have time then this one is worth a watch. 

Rating - 7/10