Adapting
Adiga: Examining the Cinematic Portrayal of Balram Halwai
Dr. Meeraba R. Jadeja
ABSTRACT
This research paper aims to study the cinematic
adaptation of Aravind Adiga’s novel The White Tiger on OTT platform
with reference to its central character Balram Halwai. This paper
critically analyses certain complexities and strategies involved in
the process of adaptation on OTT platform. An OTT platform can be
defined as “an online service that can be regarded as potentially
substituting for traditional telecommunications and audio-visual
services such as voice telephony, SMS, video on demand and
television” (“ITU” 4). This paper focuses on the portrayal of the
central character- Balram Halwai. This study delves into the
challenges and creative choices involved in translating the complex
narrative and character dynamics from the written medium to the
visual form. It aims to provide insights into the nuances of
storytelling and character development in the transition from
literature to cinema.
Film adaptation theory is the study of how works of literature and
other forms of storytelling are translated into film. The process of
adapting a story from one medium to another is complex and can
involve many changes to the original source material. Similarly, the
adaptations of Adiga’s Balram Halwai rework the stories and the
narratives of a select Indian English novel, The White Tiger (2008).
Thus, this research paper examines the paradoxical relationship
between an adaptation and its source material and the character
representations on screen.
Keywords: Adaptation, OTT Platform, Indian English Novel, Netflix,
The White Tiger.
