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Twilight In A Knotted World: A Fascinating Read For History Buffs

Siddhartha Sarma’s novel Twilight in a knotted world majorly focuses on a group of Phansigars. (They are more famous as thugs. Since they used to kill with a noose the name Phansigars also came into usage.) They are a feared gang of dacoits who roamed the countryside, the highways and the river ways, and attacked the travelers. They spoke a certain kind of dialect so they could mingle with the strangers and attack them at a right time. Sarma draws upon historical accounts of these Phansigars and weaves a tale which is part history and part police procedural. Through this story he throws light on the lives of both Indians and Englishmen of that time. It is a book that makes for a fascinating read.

There is another book called confessions of a thug by Phillip Meadows Taylor. The plot of the book revolves around a fictional anti – hero protagonist, Ameer Ali, a Muslim thug. The story lays bare the practices of the thugs, or ”deceivers” as they were called who murdered travelers for money and valuables. The book is not to be confused with the Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan starrer Thugs of Hindustan.

The protagonist of the book is the real life British officer William Henry Sleeman. He is an administrator of Jabalpur district in the central province. He is a man of wide ranging interests like linguistics and archeology and also someone who is keen on understanding the culture, history and geography of the country that he stayed in.

One day Sleeman is urgently summoned by the governor general. The reason being that Scindia of Gwalior is upset that a nobleman who was bringing him a prized horse has vanished without a trace on the highway; he’s suspected to have fallen victim to the Phansigars. The issue threatens to boil over and the responsibility of catching the dacoits falls on Sleeman. As Sleeman digs deeper into his investigation he realizes that there is a vast network of men (and women), intricately organized and operating across huge acres of land hunting and killing their fellowmen.

Through this investigation several questions are raised by the writer. For example are poverty and hunger leading to this sort of crime? Are a few powerful men controlling the destinies of many?

The best part of the book is how the author gives a psychological insight into what makes them do the things they do. We also get an insight into the intricate strands or types of Jati, Varna and Biradari which holds good even today. I quite agree with what the writer wrote.

However the book is not just about the Phansigars and their deeds. One of the most tender and touching accounts in the book is that of a little wolf boy from the forests of Seoni. Sleeman’s deputy, who is investigating a series of cattle killings, comes across a pack of wild dogs and wolves, and with them there is a boy who is naked and feral. He is captured and brought to the civilized world, where Sleeman’s wife tries to care for him. Months later he loses his fear and begins to roam the grounds, but still tied to a rope.

Ideas of governance, law and justice is another important thing which runs through the book, as does the question of the validity of the colonial enterprise. There is a chapter in the book regarding sati. You have an old woman who is determined to commit sati. Her words to Sleeman show what it is to be a woman caught in a patriarchal and unfair system where mere laws cannot bring much change.

Siddartha Sarma’s etching of characters deserves a special mention. They have been sketched well starting from the primary character of captain Sleeman. What makes his character very likeable is following the rule of the law and at the same time choosing the right thing while on a crossroad. Another character which deserves a mention is that of Amelie who supported her husband in all his endeavors and acted as a moral compass during testing times. What adds even more strength to her character is that she brings in the much required human touch. On the whole Twilight in a knotted world is a fascinating read which shows how ideas evolve and change with time.

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Alia Bhatt: A Multi Faceted Queen

Today’s feature is a very special one as it is about one of my most favourite actresses. She is the very talented and a multifaceted personality Alia Bhatt. The reason for doing this feature is that Alia will be turning 28 on 15th of this month. Alia has captured the hearts of many ranging across different age groups from children, teenagers, adults and even old people. Apart from being a wonderful actress she has also sung some nice songs in Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, Badrinath Ki Dulhania, Highway, Udta Punjab etc. She also opened up a production house recently. The name of her production house is Eternal Sunshine productions. What makes this even more special is the fact that Alia is the youngest actress turned producer. The actress also set up an initiative called co Exist in 2017 which works towards animals and ecological welfare.

Shabana Azmi in one of her interviews had called Alia a wonderful actress with the perfect mixture of vulnerability and strength which is very attractive. When you look at the characters in films like Highway and Udta Punjab you feel that Shabana ji is right. For example, in Highway you see lot of vulnerability as she is scared of her kidnapper but gradually you see the character finding strength and by the end strength replaces vulnerability. A good example of that is the scene when she confronts her uncle in front of entire family. She yells at her father about not warning her about the dangers posed by insiders. The film ends with her going to the mountains and setting up her own factory. In Udta Punjab the character goes through multiple scenes of physical abuse but she never gives up, in fact she becomes a victor at the end. This combination makes her very endearing to the audiences particularly the younger generation both male and female. Males want to have a girlfriend like her while females find themselves in the characters.

Now I will talk about some of my favourite Alia Bhatt performances. Since I have already mentioned Highway and Udta Punjab I will be talking about three more.

1 Raazi – Raazi is based on the book written by Harinder Sikka. It is set in 1971 when India and Pakistan were at the brink of the war and Information is the key for both the nations. Alias character Sehmat gets married to a respectable Pakistani family. Her job is deliver information to Indian government through Mars code. It is a part which isn’t particularly likeable since she has to choose between nation and family. Honestly some of the actions which the character does are questionable but Sehmat never comes across as a villain because of Alias performance.

2 Dear Zindagi – Dear Zindagi was an attempt to normalize Psychiatry through the troubled personal life of a teenage girl. The character in this one is very different from Udta Punjab. The reason being it comes from an upper middle class family and her issues aren’t exactly first world war ones. You have friends to fall upon and also a glamorous profession but Alia still made it work with her spontaneous performance. Her scenes with the therapist played by SRK were one of the chief reasons why the film worked.

3 Gully Boy – As the title suggests the story is about a boy from the gully played by Ranveer Singh but Alia shined in all her scenes with a spirited act. In this film also you can see vulnerability and strength in many scenes. Alias performance worked as a perfect contrast to the understatedness of Ranveer. Through her performance she showed that good actors don’t need a whole of screen time in order to make an impression.

Apart from the above mentioned ones you have also got the Dulhania Franchise, Humpty Sharma and Badrinath Ki Dulhania along with 2 states, Kalank etc. Although these films are more commercial in nature the actress has played strong parts in these films as well. For example, in Badrinath Ki Dulhania Alia plays a girl called Vaidehi who is very clear about wanting to become an air hostess. She is someone who will go to any lengths in order to achieve the dream. Keeping all this in mind it is not surprising that apart from Shabana you have also had acclaimed actors Irrfran and Pankaj Tripati  also praising her. Irrfran had called her a gifted actress with the potential of being an international star. Pankaj Tripati who was the dialect coach of Udta Punjab had called her a hardworking actress.

As I earlier said the actress is a singer too. Her singing journey started with a bit version of Sooha Saaha in Highway however the first major song that she sung was the unplugged version of Samjhawaan in Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania. This song is not there in the film but is available in Youtube. The actress won lot of appreciation for the song. This was followed by two songs in Dear Zindagi and one of the songs was the club version of Love You Zindagi. After Dear Zindagi you had the song Ik Kudi which she sung with Diljit Dosanjh. In Badrinath Ki dulhania she sang the female version of Humsafar. The last one was Sadak 2. Just like her acting Alia also left a mark with her singing skills.

Now let’s move to Coexist which I mentioned in the beginning. As I earlier said Co Exist works towards animals and ecological welfare. As part of coexist you have the initiative my wardrobe is Su wardrobe. It is a philanthropic initiative where people get to choose outfits from the personal closet of Alia and other celebrities as a part of charity. The entire amount goes to some charity or the other. From one of the proceeds eco friendly solar lamps were sent to economically backward districts in Kikkeri, Karnataka. 

Alias sense of humour is another thing which is worth appreciating. Everyone knows how she became the butt of the jokes after getting the name of India president wrong. She was never offended with the jokes and took it in her stride. She also talked about her favourite Alia Bhatt jokes. In fact Alia also featured in Genuis of the year which was a funny take on the aftermath of Koffe with Karan debacle.

Although Alia is only 27 you can see lot of maturity in her which shows both off and on screen. The biggest example of that is the way she dealt with all the trolling post Sushant Singh Rajput’s death last year. A Koffe with Karan episode was unnecessarily blown out of proportion and a picture was painted of them as enemies. Add to that Sonam’s statement of who is Sushant was attributed to her. The actress took the controversy in her stride and focused on her work. We can see the result in the teaser of Gangubai.

It is a well known fact that Kangana has been attacking her since 2019 just because Alia didn’t promote her film Manikarnika. But Alia never resorted to Kangana’s language and has always given a dignified answer. One reason for that could be that she understands the background from which Kangana comes from.

Alia’s compassionate nature can also be seen with her sister. In We The Women event she broke down about not understanding what her sister was going through in spite of living with her for a long time. It was a very heart-warming event. Similarly when Rishi Kappor was admitted due to cancer Alia made sure to visit her future father in law. She was there for all the family things and balanced the personal life and professional life very well. After Rishi Kapoor’s death it is said that Alia Bhatt called Neetu Kapoor regularly and not Ranbir. 

Alia’s chemistry with all her co stars has always been good but my favourite pairing is with Varun Dhawan. They have acted together in four films starting from Student of the year to 2019’s Kalank. You can see the comfort level and the understanding that they have got. Even in the disaster that Kalank was their scenes were good to watch. My second favourite pairing of Alia is with Ranveer Singh. Before acting together in Gully Boy they acted in the make my trip ads and their pairing was liked by the audience. You can see the respect that they have for each other’s work and that clearly reflected in Gully Boy. It also helps that both of them are passionate actors and love to take on challenging roles.

Although Alia is not someone who is politically very active but there have been times where the actress has taken a stand. For example during the JNU and CAE protests the actress expressed her solidarity for the students through social media.

I will end this feature by talking about the teaser of Gangubai which has been trending for all the right reasons unlike Sadak 2. The dialogues in the teaser have particularly become very popular and have been quoted by fans. A good example of this is the line Kunwari apne Chhoda Nahi, shrimati kisi ne banaya nahi. While the transformation of Alia in the teaser has largely been appreciated there has also been discussion about alternate casting. Now this isn’t really surprising since Hrithik Roshan’s Super 30 also went through similar issues. But we all know what happened after the release of the film. Hrithik impressed everyone with his committed performance and the film went on to do very well. Coming back to this controversy it is necessary that the people wait until the release of the film. The reason being we don’t know which part of the life story Sanjay Leela Bhansali has taken. Since we are talking about Hrithik it is necessary to mention that both Hrithik and Alia have been invited to join the Oscar academy where they might be given voting rights.

I will finally end by wishing her all the best for the future projects which include Bramhastra and her Telugu debut RRR. An interesting thing about RRR is that Alia will be dubbing in her own voice. It will be interesting to see the actress speak Telugu.

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The Girl On The Train: A Train Wreck

Ribhu Dasgupta’s remake of The Girl on the Train is a perfect example of how you shouldn’t add unnecessary masala. For those who are not aware the movie is based on the book of the same name written by Paula Hawkins. The book has already made been made into an English movie starring Emily Blunt. Ribhu Dasgupta takes the original source material and adds his own twists and turns. But the problem is that none of the twists are convincing. In fact it dilutes the impact of the book, which focused on the psychological trauma and the emotional abuse that the victim is unwittingly surrendering to. In totality this Hindi version feels choppy and is a huge letdown for those who enjoy murder mysteries.

The plot of the book revolved around an alcoholic Rachel who is recovering from a broken marriage and alcohol addiction. Her condition causes her to forget things in a state of inebriation. Every day she takes the train to London and passes by her former husband’s house, the husband now lives with his new family wife Anna and daughter Evie. While she is travelling Rachel catches glimpses of a seemingly perfect couple Scott and Megan from the window of her train. Things take a drastic turn when Rachel witnesses something shocking. This is the synopsis of the book.

In the Hindi version Parineeti chopra plays Mira Kapoor. Mira Kapoor is an out of work lawyer and spends much of her time drinking and obsessing over her ex- husband Shekar played by Avinash tiwary and also his new wife. Mira’s alcoholism is out of control and as a result her work has suffered. The only thing which brings Mira solace is observing a woman called Nusrat on the balcony whom she sees everyday as she takes the train. She begins to fantasize about her and slowly she gets consumed by her. For Mira Nusrat represents what she has lost. But one day she sees her with a new man and Meera suspects her of having an extra- marital affair. She feels lot of anger towards Nusrat and in a drunken stupor decides to confront her. The next day news comes that Nusrat has died and Mira becomes the prime suspect.

The biggest problem with The Girl on the Train is the director’s inability to build on the source material. This can be best seen with the characterization of Avinash Tiwary. In the book the character of Rachel’s husband’s was built very well and as a result the character’s change over into the grey zone didn’t feel abrupt. But here the character has been sketchily written. The reasons for the behavior of Avinash Tiwary’s character isn’t convincing at all.

You don’t at all understand why Shekar had to manipulate Mira into being an alcoholic. The relationship between them is hardly explored. Another thing is Shekar has an affair with another woman while he is married twice. Therefore he could have easily had an affair while he was in marriage with Mira. As a result of these factors the characterization of Avinash Tiwary just doesn’t make any sense.

The unnecessary deviations from the book don’t help the films cause either. The entire character of Kriti kulhari who has vendetta towards Mira just doesn’t make any sense. The character’s belief that her father was innocent and that Mira purposefully sent him to jail borders on naivety.

Honestly the film would have worked better if the director had struck to the original source instead of the unnecessary deviations. Because of the contrived ending and the implausible twists the emotional impact of the book is completely missing.

Parineeti chopra delivers a sincere performance and does her level best to elevate the material. Kriti Kulhari and Avinash Tiwary are let down by the poorly written characters. Aditi Rao hydari as Nursat doesn’t create any impact whatsoever. Her glazed look is a pain to watch. Others don’t even try.

On the whole The Girl on the Train is a train wreck which is best avoided.

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Gangubai Kathiawadi: A Solid Spectacle With A Beating Heart

Over the years Sanjay Leela Bhansali has become synonymous with telling stories on a larger than life canvas. His last three films Ram Leela, Bajirao Mastani and Padmavat are good examples of that. This larger than life canvas has also backfired in films like Ranbir Kapoor’s Saawariya but there is no denying the artisticness of Bhansali irrespective of whether you agree with his storytelling or not.

In Gangubai the director takes up a gritty real life story and narrates it with his trademark dramatic touch. The result is a largely satisfying film which touches upon a very important topic. He is also aided by the supremely talented cast led by his formidable leading lady. Alia Bhatt sinks her teeth into the role and comes up with the best performance of her career but more on that later.

The story of Gangubai is set in the 60’s and is inspired by a chapter from S Hussain Zaidi’s book Mafia Queens of Mumbai. With the help of the cinematographer Sudeep Chatterjee Bhansali immediately transports you into the area of Kamatipura. The plot is divided into three chapters. First you have Ganga being brought into the streets of Kamathipura and sold by her lover Ramnik. Ganga had aspirations of becoming a Bollywood heroine and Ramnik used that to his advantage and coaxed her to run away from home under false pretences. Seema Pahwa plays the brothel owner Sheela Masi. It is good to see the actress taking a break from her usual mother roles and doing something different, she is delightfully evil.

Much like the other four thousand woman of Kamatipura Ganga has no other option other than to make a living there. She gives up all hope and in a heartbreaking scene we see her standing in the front of a brothel, leaning on its door and seducing men by calling out to them in whispers. From here we see the character transforming into a fire brand go getter who gradually climbs up the ladder. She wears her past proudly on her sleeve, for example there is a scene in the later half where she introduces herself to Jim Sarbh’s character as Gangubai the prostitute. The interactions of Gangu with the supporting characters and how that shapes up her life also form an important part of the story. One of the most important supporting characters is that of Ajay Devgan’s Rahim Lala. He is a Muslim gangster who is a huge pillar of support for Gangu along with being her rakhi brother. Ajay is in smashing form and brings his trademark swagger.

There is a line in a film which says Gangubai wasn’t Mahaan but she wasn’t a devil either. This perfectly sums up the approach that Sanjay Leela Bhansali has taken. Early on in the film we see Gangubai freeing a girl from a prostitute house and sending her back home. This is done with a certain political purpose as we get to know later. There is also a scene where she sets up the marriage of a prostitute daughter with a son of a Muslim Tailor Afshan ( Shantanu Maheshwari); here also there is a reason why she does that. In these scenes we can see the shrewdness that Gangubai has learnt from the harsh circumstances that she has gone through. At the same time there is a genuine empathy that she has for sex workers, there is a reason why she wants to become to become the madam of Kamathipura. The reason is she wants to improve the lives of the sex workers. This comes out perfectly in her stunning speech at Azad Maidaan. Bhansali does a splendid job in bringing out these two shades.

Gangubai’s love story with Afshan also gives the film some of its best moments. Their romance is subtle but yet heartwarming. The two love songs Jab Saiyaan and Meri Jaan have been perfectly used by the director. They don’t come across as speed breakers. Out of the two my favorite one is Meri Jaan. You wish that Gangubai had a happy ending with Afshan.

Another track worth mentioning here is the friendship between Gangubai and Kamili played by Indira Tiwari. Their on screen bond is a treat to watch. There is a strong emotional scene between Gangubai and Kamili when the latter is on the verge of dying. It is a scene which is highly moving.

The scenes between Ajay Devgan and Alia are also good to watch but you wish there was little more of Ajay. The same goes to Vijay Raazi’s Rajyabhai. He plays an opponent to Gangu. Their rivalry is fun to watch but Vijay Raaz comes across as underutilized after a point.

As I earlier said Alia sinks her teeth into the role. Since the release of the teaser there has been a certain talk about alternate casting but once you see the film you realize why Sanjay Leela Bhansali stuck to her.

The best thing about Alia’s performance is the authority that she brings in her voice when the character makes the transition from being a helpless prostitute worker to the madam of Kamathipura. Her comic timing in the lighter bits is also too good. In short this is truly an award winning performance. Out of the supporting cast Indira Tiwari and Shantnu stand out the most.

The music of Gangubai mostly works but the one featuring Huma Qureshi could have been done away with. The song Dholida isn’t too high on lyrics but it still highly watchable thanks to Energetic performance of Alia. The second part of the song makes more of an impression.

The one area where the movie falters is its pre-climax and climax, Gangubai’s conversation with Jawaharlal Nehru could have been more impactful, in the sense she should have been talking to him with more humility. Also the climax where a swarm of people are cheering Gangubai stretches a little too much.

Watch Gangubai for its leading lady and the importance of its real life story.

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Anthologies: A Format that Needs A Reformat

Today’s feature is about the emerging trend of Anthologies. Initially anthologies were only made in Hindi starting from Bombay Talkies but now the trend has stepped into Telugu and Tamil as well. The reason for anthologies to be interesting is that it gives filmmakers an opportunity to explore different genres, it also gives an opportunity for actors to play different parts. Of late, the genre is losing its shine as a result of stories which are one dimensional. Case in point being Paava Kadhiagal along with the recently released Pitta Kathalu. But before that I will give a brief description about six anthologies, four of which I liked and two I didn’t.

The first one is Bombay Talkies. It is a collection of four stories directed by Karan Johar, Zoya Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee and Anurag Kshyap. It was made as a celebration of 100 years of Indian cinema. The stories were about how cinema impacts the life of the common man except for the first one directed by Karan Johar. The first one was about homosexuality and in a way an odd one out. But that didn’t become bothersome as it was about breaking out from your shackles and coming to terms with your sexuality. Out of the four this one was my favourite.

Onir’s I am was more serious given the issues that it tackled from child abuse to Kashmir etc. In spite of the heaviness of these themes it was thought provoking and never boring or depressing. The anthology felt necessary and was a welcome break from the commercial format.  

The third one is Putham Pudu Kaalai. It is an anthology set in the times of COVID- 19 and deals with lives of the people amidst the pandemic.

In Putham Pudu Kaalai the first four stories are set in the upper middle class milieu except for the last one directed by Karthik Subbaraj. The story of Karthik Subbaraj is about two thieves and through them the director talks about how greed leads to nothing. It also explores how miracles can indeed happen sometimes.

The best way to describe Putham Pudu Kaalai would be as an uplifting exploration of love and longing amid the pandemic. My favourite story out of the five is the first one directed by Sudha Kongara. The story is about a reunion between two lovers in their middle age and how the lockdown enables them to enjoy the company of each other. One of the major reasons why the story works is due to the chemistry between Jayaram and Urvasi. 

 The last one is Unpaused, just like Putham Pudu Kaalai this anthology is also heart warming. One of the stories in Unpaused is about a woman who thinks of killing herself after she discovers that her husband is a sexual predator. But just then a stranger rings the bell.  Apartment talks about finding your inner strength and shows that death is not the solution. In totality the anthology was both uplifting and melancholic. 

Now let’s move to Paava Kadhaigal and Pitta Kathalu. All the stories of Paava Kaidhagal revolve around caste and Honour killings. There is nothing wrong in making films about caste and honour but it should not be in such a way that it makes you lose faith in human beings. In all the four stories the parents are the villains which is even more disturbing. Vetremaran’s segment particularly made me angry. It was too prolonged and it also didn’t help that you had fine actors like Prakash Raj and Sai Pallavi. Because of their acting you feel the pain more. 

In Pitta Kathalu three of the four stories portray women as villains. For example in the first story you have Lakshmi Manchu’s character who takes advantage of a girl in order to rise in politics. It is a typical story which vilifies an ambitious woman. Nag Ashwin’s X Life is the only different one in the anthology. It talks about people’s obsession with gadgets and how they are losing the human touch.  I would end by saying that it is high time that the filmmakers reflect on the kind of stories they are making just because they have freedom. They need to move out of stories which have abuses, extramarital affairs etc.

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Drishyam 2: Super Follow Up To Drishyam 1

Sequels are always a tricky business given the expectations of the people and it is very rare that a sequel is as good if not better than the original. Drishyam 2 is one such where it completely lives up to the expectations of those who loved the first part. It is a perfect example of how to make a good thriller. The twists and the turns keep you completely hooked. The climax and the pre climax deserve particular mention.

For those who haven’t seen the first part the plot revolved around a Cable TV operator George Kutty who is leading a happy life with his wife and daughters. Things take a turn for the worse when his family commits an accidental crime and the burden of protecting them and their secret falls on him.

The story of Drishyam 2 begins six years after the incident. George kutty now owns a theatre and also plans to make a movie. The two daughters are also grown up. Anju played by Ansiba Hasan is a subdued college student.  Anu played by Esther Anil is somewhat rebellious. Meena is still the naïve wife who picks on her daughters and isn’t very happy with her husband’s plans. Asha Sharath also reprises her role of ex cop Geeta Prabhakar.

But beneath the normalcy the family is still scarred by what happened in the past. Director Jeetu Joseph paints a realistic picture of the trauma. Anju develops a medical condition because of it. This includes having nightmares and feeling fear whenever she sees the police. Meena’s character is constantly worrying about where her husband had buried the body and someone will find it one day. Whenever her husband goes out of town she asks her neighbor Sarita to sleep with her as she cannot sleep alone. Anu the youngest has kind of moved on.

However it is not just the family which has changed, the people around them have also changed. In the first part the people of the town were rooting for George Kutty’s family horrified by the police actions. This time around they have loosened their tongues. Most of them believe that they indeed committed the crime. What really happened on that day becomes a matter of gossip everywhere. The situation changes when the current IG deploys shadow police officers to get the truth out of George Kutty and his family.

Just like the first part the biggest strength of Drishyam 2 is its writing. It is tough to write a sequel to a story where the crime is the same but Jeetu Joseph does a super job in building up the plot. He also brings freshness to the sequel while retaining the spirit of the prequel.

A suspense thriller is not only about how you begin but it is also about how you end. The courtroom scene in the pre climax mirrors a crucial scene from the first film. Just when you think that Geroge Kutty is going to be punished a new twist shows up where we realize that George Kutty has pulled the rug from under the feet of everyone including the audience.

Drishyam 2 also scores high on emotions. There are many scenes which move you. If the movie has to be summed up in one line it is what the judge tells the IG in the end that both families deserve justice. The director is successful in making you empathize with both Mohanlal and also Asha Sharath, but more with Mohanlal. There are no heroes and villains here.

Mohanlal carries on from where he left off in the first part. He makes George Kutty’s character his own proving once again why he is a legend. The supporting cast also does well but Asha Sharath deserves a particular mention for her performance as a mother who wants her son’s killers to be punished.

In totality Drishyam 2 is a highly satisfying sequel to the first film. 

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White Tiger: A Piercing Take On The Underbelly Of The Rich

It is not often that a director does justice to a novel. But Director Ramin Bharani does more than enough justice to the written material. Apart from capturing the spirit of the novel it also raises many pertinent questions. The film dwells deep into the caste mechanisms and how the rich put the poor in their place. The best way to describe it would be as an anti slumdog Millionaire. In this case it is a compliment to the film White Tiger. 

The movie begins off with establishing the character of Adarsh Gaurav’s Balaram. We see Balaram narrating his story starting from the rural village of Laxmangarh. From Laxmangarh we go to Delhi where Balaram works as a servant to his master Ashok and Madam Pinky. The couple is played by Rajkumar Rao and Priyanka Chopra respectively. Balaram is fascinated by Ashok but that soon turns into bitterness because of a particular incident. Ashok and Pinky believe that their goodwill changes the class structure of the society. However they come with their shades of grey particularly Rajkumar Rao’s Ashok. Whenever Pinky speaks about education and equality her in-laws think that she is speaking too much. This is the synopsis. 

The best part of White Tiger is how director Ramin Bharani manages to handle the heavy duty themes of caste, corruption and globalization. It never feels heavy handed and yet the message comes across perfectly. Ramin Bharani also  deserves kudos for avoiding the clichés of the exotic India. He adopts a dark satirical tone while laying bare the hypocrisies of modern India.  On one side of the coin you have the outright brutality of Ashok’s father and brother. On the other side there is the well meaning but ineffectual kindness of Ashok and his wife. 

One major change when compared to the book is Priyanka Chopra’s character. Unlike the book here Pinky is better written and has an arc. Not surprisingly Priyanka fares far better with her American accent than Rajkumar Rao. Priyanka shines in her extended cameo and works well as a catalyst for the change in Gaurav. 

The director also deserves appreciation for he builds up the character of Balaram. Initially we get the feeling of Balaram romanticizing his master. At one point he even calls Ashok as his ex. From there the transformation of the character has been done in an effective manner. In fact, no feeling of sadness for Ashok comes when he is killed by Balaram. There is a feeling that Ashok deserves it. 

The cinematography Paolo Carnera also plays a significant part in building up this universe. He captures the two distinctly different words with flair. In short, the cinematographer is successful in capturing the texture of the novel on to the screen.

The lines written for Adarsh Gaurav deserve a special mention. His observation of his master results in dialogues which hit the right spot. 

The only point where White Tiger feels like a letdown is the casting of Rajkumar Rao as Ashok. The actor gets a clumsily written part and the American accent that Rajkumar Rao puts on becomes bothersome. 

Not surprisingly the film belongs to Adarsh Gaurav. The actor sinks his teeth into the role and comes up trumps. This film should open doors for the actor. 

On the whole White Tiger is a film which deserves your attention and time. It is must watch particularly for the many masters who take their servants for granted.