Sumith Prasad
Based on the eponymous novel by Gregory David Roberts, Apple TV+’s drama series ‘Shantaram’ revolves around Dale, an Australian prisoner who escapes his prison, only to eventually end up in the city of Bombay, India. Dale changes his identity to Lindsay Ford AKA Lin to avoid his capture and meet several foreigners in the city. Created by Eric Warren Singer and Steve Lightfoot, the series revolves around Lin’s experiences that change his personality and rewrite his fate.
The first three episodes of the show, titled ‘The Three Nos,’ ‘Down and Out,’ and ‘Strange Bedfellows’ respectively, follow the events that make Lin stay in the great Indian city. The third episode ends with several unanswered questions, and if you are trying to make sense of them, let us be your ally! SPOILERS AHEAD.
Shantaram Episode 1, 2, and 3 Recap
‘The Three Nos’ begins with Dale escaping from Pentridge Prison. He lands in Bombay under the false name Lindsay Ford and befriends Prabhu, a local guide who starts to call him Lin. He encounters several foreigners, mainly Karla Saaranen, Lisa Carter, and Didier, and becomes their friend. They all spend their time at a local café. When Lisa gets imprisoned at a prostitution house run by Madame Zhou, Lin pretends to be an American officer and helps Karla to rescue their friend. After the incident, Lin gets mugged by people who steal all his money and passport.
‘Down and Out’ begins with Prabhu taking Lin to his slum named Sagar Wada so that he can stay away from police officers, who pursue him because he doesn’t have his passport or any money. Lisa tells Klara that she had a client named Rujul, who struck a deal with Walid Shah, while she was at Madame Zhou’s house. Karla meets Abdel Khader Khan AKA Khaderbhai to inform him about Rujul’s betrayal of striking the deal with an enemy. Khaderbhai kills Rujul for trying to sell Sagar Wada to Walid despite the minister being his man. Karla gives Lin a thousand dollars to help him escape from Bombay and instructs him on how to get a new passport.
Lin sets out to leave Bombay but an unrevealed man attacks him. During a fight with him, Lin accidentally starts a fire at Sagar Wada, which burns down several huts. ‘Strange Bedfellows’ begins with Lin’s efforts to extinguish the fire with Prabhu and other slum-dwellers. Several people get injured and Lin treats them with whatever medical supplies he has. Khaderbhai comes to know that Lin has been helping the people who stay at Sagar Wada and takes him on a ride. They both get acquainted, and Khaderbhai reveals to his right-hand man, Abdullah Taheri, that he has “decided to like Lin.” Karla encounters Lin and Khaderbhai together and she wonders why he hadn’t left Bombay yet.
Shantaram Episode 3 Ending: Why Doesn’t Lin Leave Bombay?
When Lin gets mugged, he realizes that he should leave Bombay as soon as possible. He doesn’t want to get involved in more trouble, especially when he is up against people connected with the Bombay underworld. However, the fire he causes at Sagar Wada changes his mind. He gets immersed in immense guilt since he paves the way for the burning down of several houses and most importantly, the death of Lakshmi. After pushing the lives of several slum-dwellers into suffering, Lin decides against running away from his condemnable actions and continues his stay in the slum with Prabhu.
When Lin first arrives in India, he suffers from unbearable loneliness. His fears and concerns were his own. He has to deal with the haunting nightmares alone. However, Prabhu and his neighbors gradually eliminate the sense of loneliness he suffers from. When Lakshmi gives him a pair of shoes that belongs to her husband and Prabhu spends all his money for him to call Charlie, Lin realizes that he isn’t alone. After a long time in his life, he starts to feel a sense of belonging. When the fire disrupts the lives of several Sagar Wada residents, he realizes that it is time for him to return the favors he has been cherishing since the moment he steps into the slum.
Lin doesn’t leave Bombay because he is seeking redemption. He wants to overcome the guilt of inadvertently “killing” Lakshmi and the life of her son Ravi. He wants to serve the people who are building huts that got destroyed by the fire he caused. He wants to say to himself that the goodness in him hasn’t evaporated during his imprisonment. To fulfill all these wishes, Lin has to stay in Bombay and help his new neighbors in whatever ways he can, even if it means running a clinic instead of selfishly running away from the city.
Where Does Lisa Go?
After being rescued by Lin and Karla from Madame Zhou’s palace, Lisa sought shelter in Karla’s house. However, one day, without even telling Karla, Lisa left the place when a car arrived to pick her up. Lisa must have left with Sebastian Modena, Maurizio’s friend who likes her. When Sebastian initially comes to meet her, Lisa expresses his anger towards the Italian man, who led her to Madame Zhou’s palace. During the meeting with Sebastian, she realizes that he isn’t like Maurizio, who is nothing but a selfish “prick” who wouldn’t think twice about selling her.
If Lisa is voluntarily leaving the comfort and security of Karla’s house, it most likely is to join Sebastian and the warmth he offers to her. After Rujul’s death, Lisa must have realized the danger of living among people who are involved in the Bombay underground. Since Madame Zhou must be rightly suspecting her as the person who revealed the deal Rujul and Walid have made to Karla, Lisa may have understood that her life is under threat. The realization possibly leads her to Sebastian and they can be traveling to somewhere safe, far away from Walid, Madame Zhou, and Maurizio.
Read More: Is Shantaram Based on a True Story?
