“I was a revolutionary who lost his ideals in heroin, a philosopher who lost his integrity in crime, and a poet who lost his soul in a maximum-security prison.” – Shantaram
On October 14th, Apple TV+ will premiere its latest show, Shantaram, based on the eponymous book which was released in 2003 and became an instant best-seller. For fans of the novel, written by Gregory David Roberts, this is welcome news after more than a decade of it being stuck in development hell.
In 2004, Warner Bros optioned the script for two million and at one point Johnny Depp was attached to star, with Mira Nair directing. Warner Bros. retained the film rights until 2015, when it reverted back to Gregory David Roberts. In 2018, Anonymous Content and Paramount Television Studios then acquired those rights for this television production.
The series takes place in the early to mid-1980s and stars Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy) as Lin Ford, an armed robber who escapes from prison in Australia. Ending up in Bombay’s slums he finds himself enmeshed in the divergent milieus which make up the city. After his arrival, he sets up a free clinic while also working for the mafia under the tutelage of a man named Khader Khan, played by Alexander Siddig (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Syriana). Khan guides him through the local underworld. Lin becomes a drug runner and counterfeiter, ending up in both war in Afghanistan and prison (again) along the way.
Lin also comes across the path of Karla (Antonia Desplat of The French Dispatch), a mysterious expat whom he falls in love with which creates a compelling will-they, won’t they aspect to the story.
The TV series will also star Electra Kilbey, David Field, Sujaya Dasgupta, Elham Ehsas and is produced by Paramount Television and Anonymous Content. The first three episodes will premiere on Oct14th, with the remaining nine episodes being released every Friday.
Words by Jordan Cracknell
Support The Indiependent
We’re trying to raise £200 a month to help cover our operational costs. This includes our ‘Writer of the Month’ awards, where we recognise the amazing work produced by our contributor team. If you’ve enjoyed reading our site, we’d really appreciate it if you could donate to The Indiependent. Whether you can give £1 or £10, you’d be making a huge difference to our small team.