Netflix's 'The White Tiger': Release date, plot, cast, director and everything else about the movie starring Priyanka Chopra-Jonas

'The White Tiger', which won the 40th Man Booker Prize, has been adapted into a film by Netflix. The film follows the life of Balram Halwai who starts as a servant but goes on to become an entrepreneur but there is a cost to the wealth and fame he acquires
(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

Netflix said it would be adapting Aravind Adiga's book 'The White Tiger' into a film in September 2020 and it is set to release in the New Year. The movie stars Priyanka Chopra-Jonas in one of the lead roles and she is also an executive producer on the project. The novel was critically acclaimed for its take on the class and caste divide in India and the film follows the novel quite faithfully.

Release date:

The film, which saw a limited release in theaters on January 13, will release on Netflix on January 22, 2021.

Plot:

The film is an adaptation of the book 'The White Tiger' written by Aravind Adiga which won the 40th Man Booker Prize in 2008, the year the book was published. The book follows the life of a Balram Halwai who narrates his life story through a letter he penned over seven consecutive nights.

It is addressed to the Chinese Premier, Wen Jiabao, and the letter contains intimate details about how Balram who started as a servant at a tea shop, went on to become an entrepreneur and the cost of the wealth and fame he had acquired over years through various means. 

Cast:

Priyanka Chopra-Jonas

Priyanka Chopra attends the Michael Kors Collection Fall 2019 Runway Show at Cipriani Wall Street on February 13, 2019, in New York City.

Actor Priyanka Chopra-Jonas plays Pinky Sharma in the film. The actor starred in 'The Sky is Pink', which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Her last release was Netflix's 'We Can Be Heroes', an American superhero film written and directed by Robert Rodriguez. She is known for playing an agent in the TV series 'Quantico'.

Rajkummar Rao

Rajkummar Rao attends the "Omerta" premiere during the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival at TIFF Bell Lightbox on September 11, 2017, in Toronto, Canada. (Source: Getty Images)

Rajkummar Rao plays Ashok Sharma in the film. Rao is a popular actor in India who is known for his work in Hindi films. He is the recipient of several awards, including the highest film award in India, the National Film Award, and has also won the Asia Pacific Screen Award. He has starred in 'Omerta', where he portrayed the role of terrorist Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh. The film had its world premiere at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival. Some of his other popular films include 'Newton' which showed the broken nature of the Indian election process and 'Trapped', a survival movie.

Adarsh Gourav

Adarsh Gourav plays Balram Halwai, the central role in this film. Gourav, 26, has been featured in the Netflix series 'Leila' and the Bollywood hit film 'My Name is Khan'. 'The White Tiger' is his first crossover Hollywood film.

Director:

Ramin Bahrani attends "Bloodkin" photocall during the 75th Venice Film Festival at Sala Casino on September 4, 2018, in Venice, Italy. (Getty Images)

The film is directed by Ramin Bahrani, who is well-known for his work on HBO's 'Fahrenheit 451' which starred Michael B. Jordan in the lead role and also happened to be an adaptation of a book of the same name authored by Ray Bradbury in 1953. The Iranian-American director has worked on critically acclaimed films including 'Chop Shop' and most recently '99 Homes'.

Trailer



 

In the trailer released for 'The White Tiger', we see the protagonist Balram Halwai as he serves Ashok (Rajkummar Rao) and Pinky Madam (Priyanka Chopra) as their driver. One fateful night, when a joy ride goes wrong, he is asked to take the blame for his masters. This fires up the embers of revolt in his mind, especially since they treat him dismally. Having been treated badly by upper-caste Indians all his life, he says ominously, "they have plans, but I have plans too".

If you like this, you'll love:

'Looking for Alaska', 'Gone Girl', 'Shawshank Redemption', 'The Fault in Our Stars' and 'Five Feet Apart'.

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