The White Tiger
A few years back, weeks before I was to move to India, I read a book titled The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
Back in those days, my sons' school allowed parents to use their library for free. I would spend some time there after dropping off my children, to borrow books to read later at home or just stay there all day reading. Before moving to India, to prepare myself I read several fictional books about the country but also watched several documentaries, and discuss with many Indian girlfriend. I was attracted to the book mainly because it dealt with India. I read it in a short amount of time, because it was intriguing and fun but also very scary.
Years later, in December 2020, I went to a private sale of used books and stumbled upon the book. I bought it without even blinking because I remembered how much I enjoyed the story. I arrived home and recommended it to my Dad. Imagine my surprise when barely two days later I saw an article online that the book had been adapted into a movie set to be released on Netflix in January 2021. I was even more excited when I discovered that Rajkumar Rao and Priyanka Chopra would star in the movie. I loved both actors particularly Rajkumar who is slowly but surely becoming my favorite Bollywood stars after great performances in Stree, and Ludo. I could not wait to watch the movie. Surely enough in January 2021, on a moody Sunday night, I finally watched the movie. And I was not disappointed.
The movie was everything the book was and then some. It was light but dark, funny but sad, twisted and scary. I watched all of it without even seeing the time pass. I had to chat with a friend online about the movie to realize that it was 2 hours long. And for those of you who do not like dancing and singing in Bollywood movies, you will not be disappointed. There is singing and dancing but it is done very subtly, it mashes well with the movie. Actually the soundtrack made the movie even better, a mix of old and new, western and Indian, edgy but sweet and nostalgic.
I really do not want to spoil the book or the movie for you therefore I will not get into too much details. Watching the movie, took me back to the time I was living in India. Back in 2013, we moved in India from Japan. We knew well in advance that we would move so we started to prepare for it. It was excited but also a bit overwhelmed. I read the book right around that time. Let me just tell you that when I was done with it, I was scared. Surely it was purely fictional but the story could also be real. But after moving to India, I was so busy trying to adapt to my new life I barely had the time to think about the book again.
When we moved to Pune in India, we were told by my ex husband's company that we were not allowed to drive. We were to hire a driver instead. So we did just that after purchasing a car. Ajit was a young quiet driver. He was a tall slender man with a fair complexion. He used to groom his hair and mustache very neatly. In fact he was always well put together without being too stylish. He barely talked or at least in front of me. He was also a very calm driver, never racing, and following traffic rules which was unimaginable in India. He never got into an altercation while driving even if other drivers or pedestrians insulted him. Actually in many instances, I was the one raising my voice at people driving recklessly on the road. Ajit was also very sweet with my boys. I did not have a nanny so when I needed to run errands, the boys would often accompany me. Because it was often very hot, they would stay in the car and listen to filmi music with Ajit while I shopped.
Ajit was our driver for all the 4 years we lived in Pune. He worked 6 days a week, coming as early as 7:30 AM and leaving as late as 8 PM. During the weekend he would come later, between 9 and 12 noon. When he did not drive us, he would hang in the parking lot of our apartment building with other drivers or in the parking lot of my husband's office. When he drove us somewhere he would hang in the car while he waited for us to be done. We also did travel with him several times to Mumbai and Goa. In those instances he would stay in a different hotel and often would not eat in the same place as us. It did not bother me back in the day because we were told that it was how things were done.
Ajit was well paid for a driver. He was paid double what we paid the maid. He also got a yearly bonus and raise. When we travelled he was paid extra for room and food as well. When we were on holiday outside of India, which was at least twice to three times a year, he was also on paid leave. We treated him well. We never yelled at him.
After watching the movie, I compared the main character to Ajit. But I also saw myself in the rich employers. Ajit had driven me around for almost four years but I did not know much about his family. I knew he had a wife and a young boy but that was about it. I think he also loved his wife very much, because every time we went somewhere, he would call her and tell her where he was. I used to jokingly tell my husband that we could never go anywhere secretly because Ajit would always tell her. But apart from that, I knew nothing about Ajit and I never asked. Truth be told, I did not want to be too familiar with him. I think that I was the only member of the family who spent most time with Ajit because he would drive me everywhere: to school to drop of my kids, to belly dance class, to Zumba class, to the supermarkets, to the markets, to the malls, to the restaurants, to the hotels, to my friends' house, to the movies, to the park. In a day I could spend two to three hours with him. So I was the one who had more opportunity to know him. But I never talked when I was in the car with him. I would tell him where to go or if he knew a particular market I wanted to check. I was cordial but rarely friendly. For some reason, I wanted to have boundaries with him. I think my husband was the same as well. The kids were very friendly with Ajit. I think he saw his own son in them so he used to teach them Mahrati language and songs when I was not around and swore them to secrecy. But I would always find out and actually I did like that. I could trust him with my kids' life.
When we left India, I was actually sad to leave Ajit because he was a very good employee. Unproblematic and always reliable. After I left India, Ajit sent me a friend request on Facebook. I was so astonished because I used a nickname on Facebook so I was not sure how he found me. But then, for some reason I was not eager to accept his friend request. Ajit was someone who worked for my family, not a friend. We never had a long conversation or shared ideas. We might have shared a smile ever now and then but that was about it. I do not think of him as a friend. And accepting his friend request was just too weird for me. But now after watching the White Tiger, I wonder about him. I am sure he found another foreign family to drive around. But what if he did not? What is he doing now? Where is he?
The movie depicted how Indian society works, how the rich treat the poor and vice versa. It is fiction but it is very relatable. And I am sure it does not only relate to Indian people but with the entire world. How employers treat their employees. We have seen many cases of employees being mistreated, and even abused by their employers, from houseworkers, nannies to drivers. We are often shocked at those images and stories. But do we often question ourselves as employers. When we were in India, we would pay our maid the same amount of money we used for groceries in a week. We were told that it was enough but did we ever stop and ask ourselves if that much was enough for her? Or if it was even fair? What about the maid we have now? She is paid roughly the same amount. I know that it would be very hard for me to live with her salary. Why aren't we paying her more? I pride myself in treating my employees well. I would never shout at them, I would say please and thank you, I would give them day off and paid holidays, I would even buy them gifts and give them bonuses, or pay for their medical bills when they are sick. But is that enough? Should we not do more?
Here are the thoughts that raced through my mind when I was watching the movie. And Ajit. I hope that wherever he is, he is healthy and happy with his loved ones.
Please go read the book or watch the movie. You will not be disappointed
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