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Priyanka Chopra Jonas' 'The White Tiger' explores India's class struggles in first trailer

The original novel is a darkly comedic take on India’s class struggle and is told from the perspective of Balram, a lower-class citizen who becomes a chauffeur for a rich landlord and his wife.
Image: Today - Season 67
Priyanka Chopra appears on NBC's "TODAY" show on Jan. 18, 2018.Mike Smith / NBC

Netflix has released the first trailer for “The White Tiger,” starring Priyanka Chopra Jonas that is based on the New York Times-bestselling novel of the same name.

Earlier this month, Chopra Jonas shared the first image from the film, in which she’ll play Pinky Madam, a first-generation immigrant in the United States who travels to India with her husband Ashok, played by Rajkummar Rao.

“This is a story about a family and the plight of one man — Balram Halwai played by Adarsh Gourav, one of the most talented newcomers I’ve ever worked with, and one of the most remarkable performances I’ve seen in a long time. 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,” Chopra Jonas wrote on Instagram earlier in October.

The original novel, written by Aravind Adiga, is a darkly comedic take on India’s class struggle and is told from the perspective of Balram, a lower-class citizen who becomes a chauffeur for a rich landlord and his wife. A shocking twist of events occurs, which changes the characters’ lives and further explores the themes of poverty, corruption and class in India.

“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 wrote on Instagram.

“The White Tiger” is directed by Ramin Bahrani, who previously helmed “Fahrenheit 451” for HBO, “99 Homes,” “At Any Price,” “Plastic Bad,” “Goodbye Solo” and “Chop Shop.” The film will release on Netflix in 2021.

Watch the trailer below.

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