The White Tiger (2020)
87%RT Audience Score: 80%
Awards & Nominations: 3 wins & 4 nominations
Well-acted and beautifully made, The White Tiger distills the strengths of its source material into a grimly compelling drama.
If you’re in the mood for a movie that’s equal parts dark and hilarious, then The White Tiger is the perfect pick. This rags-to-riches tale takes you on a wild ride through India’s strict social hierarchy, with a charismatic guide in the form of Balram. Sure, there are no Bollywood dance numbers to lift your spirits, but who needs them when you have a film that’s both terrifically filmed and acted? So grab some popcorn, settle in, and get ready for a movie that’s sure to leave you both entertained and thinking.
Production Company(ies)
Dreamworks Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Amblin Entertainment,
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Streaming, Streaming (Netflix), Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Los Angeles, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for strong language and some violence
Year of Release
1997
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States, India
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jan 13, 2021 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 22, 2021
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Adarsh Gourav, Rajkummar Rao, Priyanka Chopra-Jonas, Vedant Sinha, Perrie Kapernaros, Nalneesh Neel, directed by Ramin Bahrani, written by Ramin Bahrani, produced by Ramin Bahrani, Mukul Deora, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Linda Marric, Wenlei Ma, Karthik Purushothaman, Anupama Chopra, Namrata Joshi, Ty Burr, Josh Parham, Jimmy Cage, James Luxford, Shaun Munro, Robin Holabird, MPAA rating R, India, social commentary, class divide, servant, driver, entrepreneur, betrayal, rebellion, corrupt system, New York Times bestseller, 2008 Man Booker Prize-winning novel, Adarsh Gourav as Balram, Rajkummar Rao as Ashok, Priyanka Chopra Jonas as Pinky Madam, dark humor, satire, crime drama, inequalities, class structure, universal themes, epic scope, ferocious bite, darkly comedic, socially conscious, grimly compelling, beautifully made
Worldwide gross: $7,281,450
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $13,573,212
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,859
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 1,480,176
US/Canada gross: $7,281,450
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $13,573,212
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,520
US/Canada opening weekend: $3,020,015
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $5,629,552
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,075
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $18,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $33,553,456
Production budget ranking: 1,085
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $18,068,536
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$38,048,780
ROI to date (est.): -74%
ROI ranking: 1,826
Rajkummar Rao – Ashok
Priyanka Chopra Jonas – Pinky Madam
Vedant Sinha – Dharam
Perrie Kapernaros – self
Nalneesh Neel – Vitiligo
Director(s)
Ramin Bahrani
Writer(s)
Ramin Bahrani
Producer(s)
Ramin Bahrani, Mukul Deora
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
3 wins & 4 nominations
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (174) | Top Critics (56) | Fresh (159) | Rotten (15)
Frustratingly naive one minute and coldly calculating the next, Gourav manages to make Balram likeable for the duration of the film. If you’re looking for a Friday night movie to while away a few lockdown hours – The White Tiger is the perfect choice.
June 17, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
Linda Marric
NME
TOP CRITIC
Any hope or salvation The White Tiger offers is laced with a drop of arsenic, and there are certainly no Bollywood dance numbers to lift your spirits.
February 28, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Wenlei Ma
News.com.au
TOP CRITIC
Through [a] climactic nod to Naipaul’s merciless depiction of underdeveloped India, no matter how many fortunate individuals might escape it, Bahrani’s The White Tiger subverts the standard-issue poverty porno…
February 6, 2021
Karthik Purushothaman
The New Republic
TOP CRITIC
The White Tiger is a kinetic excursion into darkness with Balram as our charismatic guide.
February 5, 2021
Anupama Chopra
Film Companion
TOP CRITIC
Directed by Iranian-American filmmaker Ramin Bahrani, the film is a breeze despite some tired cliches. It ends up as an insider’s take on corruption and caste and class-divides in India…
February 4, 2021
Namrata Joshi
National Herald (India)
TOP CRITIC
Balram’s tale is rich and ruthless enough for both approaches, and for any country built on a premise of one class eating another.
January 29, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
Ty Burr
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
Despite some plot contrivances and an often-overbearing narration, the story itself is alive with a sobering viewpoint that makes the spectacle all the more poignant and absorbing.
June 8, 2022 | Rating: 8/10
Josh Parham
Next Best Picture
Ramin Bahranis satire THE WHITE TIGER is a solid, sometimes wonderfully vicious, social commentary on Indias strict social hierarchy. Unfortunately, it still lacks a bit of bite and momentum.
April 25, 2022 | Rating: 6/10
Jimmy Cage
Jimmy Cage Movie Reviews (YouTube)
White Tiger is an unapologetically grim take on a rise from poverty, but the mix of dynamic filmmaking and personable stars mean its far from a slog.
February 28, 2022 | Rating: 4/5
James Luxford
City AM
Terrifically filmed and acted, this darkly comedic crime thriller is a rags-to-riches tale like no other.
January 2, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/5
Shaun Munro
Flickering Myth
Hidden and unexpected challenges make that goal nearly impossible to reach-and the effort leads to compelling and absorbing drama.
July 16, 2021
Robin Holabird
KUNR (Reno, NV)
It’s easy to see why the filmmaker was drawn to the material; it’s just too bad that it only served to once again draw out his worst instincts.
June 5, 2021
Steven Warner
In Review Online…
Plot
Maureen is pregnant and her husband Eddie is missing. Nervous, Maureen shares a couple of drinks with neighbor Kiefer, who tries to rape her and then beats her. When Eddie returns and finds his wife bruised, he goes ballistic, shoots a paramedic and is put in a psychiatric institution. Ten years later, Eddie is released and finds that Maureen has divorced him and is remarried with three children, one of whom is his little girl Jeanie. Eddie goes to reclaim his wife.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The White Tiger features a superb central performance by Adarsh Gourav.
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