Sumith Prasad
The twelfth episode of Apple TV+’s drama series ‘Shantaram’ follows Lindsay “Linbaba” Ford, who sets out to rescue Karla Saaranen and Lisa Carter from the custody of Madame Zhou. After rescuing the love of his life, Lin asks Karla to join him in leaving Bombay as a gang war startles the Indian city. Lin, who wants to escape from the Australian detective Wally Nightingale, persuades Karla to escape from the region. The final episode of the season ends with Karla making a significant decision concerning her future! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Karla’s Departure From Bombay
In the eleventh episode of the show, Madame Zhou instigates Walid Shah to fight against Abdel Khader Khan, AKA Khaderbhai, for her safety. She also abducts Khaderbhai’s trusted associate, Karla, and her friend, Lisa. Lin comes to know about the predicament and risks his own life to save Karla. He enters Zhou’s palace and deals with Zhou and Maurizio to save Karla and Lisa. Lin’s actions move Karla severely, who acknowledges her feelings for the Australian. After sharing intimacy with him, Karla makes it clear that she is open to joining him in leaving Bombay.
At the end of the episode, Karla awaits Lin at the railway station to board a train and leave Bombay. Lin arrives at the railway station, only to get captured by the police officers at the platform, without Karla witnessing the same. Since one of the final shots of the episode depicts Karla on a running train, it is evident that she has boarded the same to leave the city. However, she may not have gone for good from Bombay. Karla decides to leave Bombay only because of Lin, who makes her wish for a life away from the city with him. When he fails to join her, Karla must be feeling that he abandoned her, likely killing any hope she has to lead a life elsewhere.
Karla arrives in Bombay after the death of her father. She has always believed that he “abandoned” her by killing himself. She decides to stay in Bombay because of Khaderbhai, who becomes her father figure. Since Lin unintentionally abandons her, Karla may start to think that she should return to Khaderbhai, who has always been there for her even when others left or disappeared. Thus, her departure from Bombay can be temporary, and she will most likely return to the city once she realizes that Lin hasn’t abandoned her.
Antonia Desplat’s Exit From Shantaram
Even though Apple TV+ canceled ‘Shantaram’ after the first season, there is a possibility of another streaming platform or network picking up the drama series by greenlighting its second installment. If that happens, one cannot rule out Antonia Desplat’s involvement in the same. As the lead female star, Desplat is an essential part of the drama show. Karla and Lin’s highly intricate relationship dynamics are one of the pillars of the series’ narrative, which displays how important the actress and her character are as far as the show is concerned.
Since Karla’s return to Bombay after her departure is indeed a possibility, we can expect Desplat to return to the second season of the show if it ever materializes. The character Karla is featured throughout Gregory David Roberts’ eponymous source novel of the show, which indicates that the character’s arc is not yet concluded. In the novel, Karla returns to Lin’s life with a boyfriend, only for the Australian to be astounded. If the series gets a rebirth, we may see Karla accepting that Lin isn’t a reliable partner, which will lead her to choose a different pathway of life for her future, away from the Australian.
Read More: Is Shantaram’s Kavita Based on a Real Journalist?
