Balram's journey is a hero's journey, albeit one in which he slays his master. Psychologically speaking, that act feels inevitable in order for Balram to break free from the role he assume early on: to be a servant to a master. That path sufficed for a while. It is not his destiny, however, to be a servant forever.

He has an advantage, actually two. First, no one thinks much of Balram, certainly not suspecting him of doing much of anything with his life other than be who he is (perhaps Pinky sees something of his potential, but that's it). Second, while no one pays him much attention, Balram pays attention to *them*. He watches everything and although it takes time, he puts what he learns into practice, all of it leading to that precipitous moment in time when he takes Ashok's life.

The story brings to mind such movies as Scarface and The Wolf of Wall Street, where a common man rises to the top. A big difference here: We feel a lot of sympathy for Balram, unlike the Protagonists of those other two movies who, while compelling, are narcissists, drug addicts, and power-hungry mad men. Conversely, Balram is simply attempting escape his "coop," which in the end, he does.