Rapper Divine: The White Tiger title track reflects tale of rebellion, opportunity

A still from The White Tiger

Even before the success of his second album Punya Paap can sink in, rapper Divine has moved on to another endeavour. The artiste has teamed up with leading American rappers Vince Staples and Pusha T for the title track of The White Tiger, featuring Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Rajkummar Rao.

Vince Staples

Creating Jungle mantra was not easy for Divine, who understood that the song had to reflect the complex themes of ownership, servitude and class struggle that the Netflix film tackles. "I felt a personal connection with the narrative, which is so relevant. It is comparable to the lives of many, who were the underdogs till they started standing up and speaking for themselves," says the artiste.

Pusha T

He is proud to note that the high-tempo number has been produced by Gully Gang protégé, Karan Kanchan. The track, which drops online today, narrates the experience of the film's protagonist Balram Halwai - essayed by Adarsh Gourav - as he rises above his humble background and craftily realises his long-standing ambition of becoming a successful entrepreneur. "This track reflects the tale of rebellion and opportunity, and [underlines] the disparity, both economic and emotional, between the rich and the poor," adds Divine.

Based on Aravind Adiga's Man Booker Prize-winning novel of the same name, The White Tiger - directed by Ramin Bahrani - examines caste, corruption and poverty in India.