Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Green , based on child development research. How do we rate?
Compelling dark dramedy has violence, language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The White Tiger
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 2 parent reviews
What's the Story?
Balram (Adarsh Gourav) is a bright young boy who is promised a scholarship but is instead forced by his family to drop out of school and go to work in THE WHITE TIGER. One day many years later, he discovers that the son of the wealthy "landlord" family of his village has just returned from America and is in need of a driver. He convinces his family to let him train and try for the position, which he gets. Life seems more comfortable working for Ashok (Rajkummar Rao) and his liberal Indian American wife Pinky (Priyanka Chopra Jonas), but Balram is also subjected to humiliations and mistreatment from Ashok's family. When a tragic accident occurs, Balram is set up to take the blame, causing a shift in his attitude toward his employers and his status in life and inspiring him to try to break out of his shackles –- by any means necessary.
Is It Any Good?
This gritty drama about class inequality in India will resonate with viewers from all around the world. In a voiceover narration set up as a letter from the main character to the visiting premier of China, Balram asserts that where there used to be a thousand castes in India, now there are only two: men with big bellies and men with small bellies. It's only when he throws off the shackles of servitude by cheating his "master" out of money that he says his belly begins to grow. It's just one example of how the untrustworthy narrator of The White Tiger blends dark humor with social critique in a mix that is compelling, entertaining, and distressing all at once. The film plays out in two contrasting hours, much like South Korean satire Parasite, with which it will doubtless be compared. The first hour feels like a slightly quirky rags-to-riches dramatic comedy; the second hour, beginning with an accident foreshadowed in the introduction, spirals downward into darker drama and crime. Both parts are driven by a subtle and convincing performance by Adarsh Gourav as Balram.
The White Tiger pulls no punches in its clear-eyed depiction of class inequalities, corruption, and violence in India, where a man of Balram's status is born into layers of servitude. "I was trapped in the rooster coop," Balram states of his and other servants' resignation to their fate. "And don't believe for a second there's a million-rupee game show you can win to get out of it." A show, maybe, like the one that saves a man like Balram in 2008's Slumdog Millionaire. Balram's narrative is so laden with social commentary, you have to pay close attention not to miss any of his one-liners. He sneers at the idea of India as the world's "largest democracy" and watches as a politician known as "The Great Socialist" wins the poor vote with one hand and arrogantly bribes wealthy business owners with the other. He vows if he were elected leader of India, he'd focus on sewage pipes before democracy. He declares the future belongs to India and China, not America, and yet the America-raised and –educated Pinky is the film's most egalitarian and generous character. As the title hints, the film also plays with animal symbolism for dramatic (caged roosters and tigers, cawing crows) and comedic (cows, "the most well-fed members" of the family) effect.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the depiction of class inequality in India seen in The White Tiger. What surprised you the most?
What's the symbolism of the rooster coop? How about the white tiger?
How are Ashok and Pinky, who have been raised and/or educated in the United States, different from their other family members?
The film is likely to draw comparisons to Parasite as well as to Slumdog Millionaire. Have you seen these other films? How do they compare, in your view?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: January 22, 2021
- Cast: Priyanka Chopra , Rajkummar Rao , Adarsh Gourav
- Director: Ramin Bahrani
- Inclusion Information: Middle Eastern/North African directors, Indian/South Asian actors
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Book Characters
- Run time: 125 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: language, violence and sexual material.
- Last updated: February 17, 2023
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
What to Watch Next
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate