With “The White Tiger” being a big global hit for Netflix, it’s clear that the streaming service would love to replicate that success again. So, why not get filmmaker Ramin Bahrani to take another novel by Aravind Adiga and make a feature out of it? That’s exactly what is happening with the upcoming film, “Amnesty.”
According to Netflix, the streaming service is working with “The White Tiger” writer-director, Ramin Bahrani, to adapt “Amnesty” for the studio. As mentioned, “Amnesty” is the new novel by Aravind Adiga, who broke out with the novel, “The White Tiger,” when it was released in 2008. And if you listened to our recent interview with Bahrani, as part of The Playlist Podcast, you know that the two men have been friends for years, dating back to their time as students in college. So, it’s no surprise that Adiga would want Bahrani to direct the film based on his book.
“Amnesty” tells the story of an illegal immigrant in Australia that realizes that he has information about the death of one of his employers. He then faces a terrible situation where he must decide whether or not to say something, risking deportation or just staying silent because he doesn’t have the same rights as others.
“I am thrilled to adapt Aravind’s great new novel, ‘Amnesty,’” said Bahrani. “And very grateful to partner with Netflix and my lead creative producer Bahareh Azimi once again. This novel gripped me from the first time Aravind shared a rough draft with me five years ago. I can’t wait to bring it to the screen.”
READ MORE: ‘The White Tiger’: Ramin Bahrani’s Latest Is A Lumbering, Dreary Satire [Review]
Adiga added, “I’m delighted that Ramin and Netflix are bringing ‘Amnesty’ to life. ‘Amnesty,’ my most personal novel, evolved in the course of discussions with Ramin over many years. It’s my attempt to dramatize the moral crisis at the center of the story that is faced in various forms by immigrants around the world. I can’t wait to see Ramin’s interpretation on Netflix.”
Bahrani is a filmmaker that has earned incredible acclaim for his films such as “Chop Shop,” “99 Homes,” and of course, “The White Tiger.” It’s unclear when “Amnesty” will arrive on Netflix.
Here’s the synopsis for the new film:
Set in Australia, the story is compelling and timely. Danny, an illegal immigrant who cleans houses, realizes he has information about sudden murder of one of his employers. Over the course of one tense summer day, Danny plays a cat-and-mouse game with the man he suspects to be the murderer. But if he speaks up, he will be deported. He is in a moral crisis – what are the obligations of a man who has no rights in this world?