Priyanka Chopra, Rajkummar Rao to star in new Netflix film

New Delhi: The Netflix strategy to go mainstream is clearly playing out. Bollywood actors Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Rajkummar Rao will star in a new original film for the American streaming service based on Arvind Adiga’s Man Booker-winning novel The White Tiger. The film will be directed by Iranian-American filmmaker Ramin Bahrani, known for films like Chop Shop, 99 Homes and Fahrenheit 451.

Filming for The White Tiger will begin this fall in India, Netflix said in a statement. The Reed Hastings-owned streaming service is producing The White Tiger in association with Mukul Deora, while Bahrani will be writing the screenplay besides taking the director’s chair. Chopra Jonas will also serve as executive producer.

“I’m so excited to work with Ramin Bahrani and Netflix to bring Aravind Adiga’s poignant story to cinematic life. When I read the book, I was fascinated with the perspective of the narrative. The story’s portrayal of raw ambition and the extent one will go to achieve one’s goals is riveting. I look forward to filming this in India this fall, and also working along with Rajkummar Rao for the first time and the wonderful cast Ramin is putting together,” Chopra Jonas said in a statement.

Adiga’s novel that follows the extraordinary journey of a self-made man from tea-shop worker in a village to successful entrepreneur in a big city, is the latest of the many books Netflix has adapted for its shows, after crime thriller Sacred Games whose second season came out this August and spy thriller Bard of Blood that is due for release late September. It is also looking to tweak its elite reputation in India, wooing smaller towns and diverse audiences with content, pricing and product design. This July, it announced a ₹199 mobile-only subscription and has announced a slew of stories set beyond the metros and in vernacular languages.

“It’s an exciting time for actors today and I’m thrilled to be a part of such a world-class project. I’ve been an admirer of Ramin’s work and am excited to see The White Tiger come to life with Netflix,” said Rao, who had earlier done a show called Bose: Dead/Alive for ALTBalaji.