The White Tiger Budget

What is known about the production of The White Tiger?

"The White Tiger," a drama released in 2021, was directed by Ramin Bahrani and stars Adarsh Gourav, Rajkummar Rao. The production budget has not been publicly disclosed, though Lava Media, Noruz Films, ARRAY Filmworks produced the film, making it a notable entry in the drama landscape whose financial details remain private.

Key Budget Allocation Categories

While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a drama production like this include:

• Writing: While Bahrani added and deleted a few sequences and adapted the character for the screen, the story stays largely faithful to the novel.
• Casting: Bahrani turned down some established stars for the part of Balram: “I had an opportunity to talk with a lot of actors, stars that you might know, Bollywood stars who are all incredible.
• Filming & Locations: Both Rao and Jonas prepared for the sequences, with the actors beginning the script reading session, before the start of the shoot.
• Music & Score: The White Tigers original score is composed by Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurrians.

What were the major cost factors in The White Tiger?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "The White Tiger."

• Writing: Writing is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.
• Casting: Casting is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.
• Filming: Filming & Locations is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.

The White Tiger Production History

While Bahrani added and deleted a few sequences and adapted the character for the screen, the story stays largely faithful to the novel. He stated: "The hardest part was cutting things out, since I love the book so much. But when I put all of it in the script, it came to 200 pages! Aravind gave me a wealth of gold and cutting it is just not easy.” Initially, he considered updating the story (set in 2005) to a more recent setting, before abandoning the idea, as it is a period film.

Bahrani turned down some established stars for the part of Balram: “I had an opportunity to talk with a lot of actors, stars that you might know, Bollywood stars who are all incredible. But at a certain point, while I was in India, I felt that the lead actor should be from India and preferably unknown. I just felt it matched the character and the story of an underdog." Rajkummar Rao was also selected to play a prominent role in the film, along with Priyanka Chopra Jonas, despite serving as the co-producer.

Both Rao and Jonas prepared for the sequences, with the actors beginning the script reading session, before the start of the shoot. The principal shoot of the film began in October 2019, with the cast and crew being present for the shoot, excluding Jonas, due to her involvement in the promotion of The Sky Is Pink (2019). Jonas joined the sets of the film's shooting in Delhi, on 2 November 2019, and while shooting for the series, she posted her picture on Instagram, with a caption stating that "it is too hard to shoot here", citing the climatic conditions and air pollution prevailing in the city.

Awards and Recognition

Nominated for 1 Oscar. 7 wins & 17 nominations total

Critical Reception

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 91% based on 164 reviews, with an average rating of 7.5/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "Well-acted and beautifully made, The White Tiger distills the strengths of its source material into a grimly compelling drama." On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 76 out of 100, based on 39 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".