Rags to riches stories are a dime a dozen but this one stands out for being so unapologetically dark. Adapted from the novel that won the Man Booker, the conception of this film makes for a fascinating story as well. The novel’s author chose Adarsh Gourav, a college friend, to direct it, famous actress Priyanka Chopra asked to be involved after reading about the production on Twitter and the lead role was given to a relatively unknown actor Adarsh Gourav. This is not a subtle film and it is plot-driven rather than character-driven but it is undeniably effective at rousing your emotions against the injustice you see in it.

In 2010, Balram Halwai recounts the story of his life, framed as an email to then Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. He was born in a poor village and though he was a precocious student was never given much schooling as he had to work, especially after his father died early. He observes the landlord when he comes to collect rent and hatches a plan to become a chauffeur for the second son, Ashok, who has just returned from the US with his wife Pinky. He has to beg money from his domineering grandmother to get driving lessons but he does get the job after the landlord is assured of his loyalty as they can always retaliate against his family should he cross them. Quick to learn and conscientious, Balram soon becomes a trusted servant and when Ashok and Pinky move to Delhi, he goes with them after threatening to expose the other driver as a secret Muslim. In Delhi, he observes how Ashok bribes politicians to avoid paying taxes and his loyalty is put to the ultimate test when Pinky, driving while drunk, causes an accident and he is asked to take the blame.

This choice of framing device is very unusual and no doubt comes from the novel itself. It is used to tack on a bit of an anti-white man message by claiming that the future belongs to the brown man and the yellow man but I’m not sure that matters very much. As I noted, the plot moves quickly which makes this film very engrossing but also makes the emotional impact of key moments feel a bit too forced. It wants to hammer you with its central point that the poor in India are like chickens in the coop, who are complicit in their own servitude even as it leads them to their own doom. Balram emphasizes that it is rare for someone to have the fortitude to break out of this cycle, hence the reference to the white tiger, and controversially condones even extreme violence as part of his liberation. While his anger is understandable, it’s still hard to justify such violence against people simply for being a member of the rich class. I do like the characterizations of Ashok and Pinky, who after living in the US, affect horror at how poorly servants like Balram are treated. Yet their sympathies only go so far as it does not threaten their own privileged status.

While this is a supremely entertaining film and we can see from it how powerfully the book it is based on channels the rage against the rich in India, its central premise seems problematic to me. By saying that the poor in India are conditioned into serfdom, it seems to be placing part of the blame on the poor themselves and certainly Balram behaves as if his ties to his family are part of what holds him down. I’m sympathetic to the view that the system encourages the poor to tear each other down instead of uniting against the rich. But I dislike the implication that the poor don’t try to advance their own interests whenever they can. The fact that the rich create a system that is able to effectively punish those who attempt to break out of their lot in life is very different from the poor themselves being psychologically resigned to it. The film does show that those in the city at least learn to to cheat their employer to earn a little extra income and I like how that shows they have the agency and the will to get a better life rather than be contented with whatever they are given. It show how important urban migration is to breaking the link between the peasants and their traditional landlords and to find more rewarding jobs that actually allow them to build up their wealth.

Still this is undoubtedly an excellent film that is watchable by almost anyone. I’m very curious about how it has been received in India as this feels like a very Americanized Indian film to me and seems to break all of the usual rules of Indian cinema. The authorities certainly can’t be happy with its central message and Balram’s path to success is not one that anyone would call an example worth emulating. But as an expression of raw anger at the state of Indian society, this is a powerful film, a cri de coeur that indiscriminately targets everyone including well-meaning but privileged liberals and corrupt fake socialist politicians, and even Balram’s poor brother who he sees as a supine peasant only able to play along within the corrupt system. There are no good guys in this film including the protagonist himself and that’s why this makes for a convincing wake-up call.