Netflix released the first trailer of Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Rajkummar Rao, and Adarsh Gourav’s upcoming film The White Tiger on Wednesday. Adapted from Aravind Adiga’s novel of the same name, which won the 40th Booker Prize in 2008, the film marks Adarsh Gourav’s acting debut.
“There is only one way to break free. . .”
From executive producers @ava and @priyankachopra
and writer-director Ramin Bahrani, here’s the teaser trailer for THE WHITE TIGER starring #AdarshGourav, @priyankachopra, and @RajkummarRao! pic.twitter.com/a8v64bw8Wd— Netflix India (@NetflixIndia) October 28, 2020
The trailer, which runs for a little over two minutes, touches upon several points from Adiga’s novel, which is a social satire. Gourav plays the role of Balram Halwai, the primary narrator of the story. In the trailer, we get glimpses of Balram’s journey- beginning his journey from the country’s underbelly to becoming a successful entrepreneur. Rao and Chopra Jonas play the role of an NRI couple (Ashok and Pinky), who hire Balram as their chauffeur.
The audience sees a dark depiction of a social uprising with Balram’s character saying, “I am just one who has woken up, while the rest of you are sleeping.”
The film was reportedly shot in New Delhi, Bengaluru, Dhanbad and Agra. It will release in select theatres in December, before premiering on Netflix in January 2021.
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Earlier, while talking about the film in a social media post, Chopra Jonas had written: “Balram’s rise from a poor villager to successful entrepreneur in modern India showcases how hunger and the lack of opportunity can build and drive a human being’s animal instinct of survival.”
“Rajkummar Rao, already one of the most prolific actors in India, will showcase depths very few can. The film is powerful. It will make you uncomfortable, and most importantly it will entertain you,” Chopra Jonas had written on Instagram.
Netflix’s The White Tiger has been written, directed, and produced by Ramin Bahrani. The executive producers for the project are Chopra Jonas and Golden Globe Award winner Ava DuVernay.
Adiga had, in fact, dedicated his novel to Bahrani when it was first published. The director has previously helmed films like Fahrenheit 451, 99 Homes, At Any Price, Plastic Bad, Goodbye Solo and Chop Shop.