The Hindu : Front Page : Adiga: protagonist partly inspired by rickshawman

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Thursday, Oct 16, 2008
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Adiga: protagonist partly inspired by rickshawman

Hasan Suroor

LONDON: “The White Tiger”, in the form of seven letters written by its rags-to-riches protagonist Balram Halwai to Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, has been praised for presenting the contrasting images of obscene wealth and deep poverty in India as it charts the journey of Balram, the son of a rickshawpuller, from his impoverished origins to entrepreneurial success.

Adiga, who was inspired to write the book after his travels through India as a Time magazine journalist, said that he wanted to portray the condition of India’s “underclass” after encountering a new India .

“For the first time I met people like rickshawpullers, and it got me thinking about India in a different way. This book was an attempt to capture the voice of the men I met.”

Adiga said the novel’s protagonist was partly inspired by a rickshawpuller who told him: “You’ve listened to me, but when you go back to Delhi, you’ll forget about me…I did not forget about him.”

Tributes to Delhites

In a touching tribute to Delhites, Adiga dedicated his prize to New Delhi saying it was a city which was going to “determine the future of India.”

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