Shantaram is based on the bestseller of the same name by Australian Gregory David Roberts. Born in Melbourne in 1952, Roberts became addicted to heroin in the 1970s after a number of private misfortunes. To get money for stuff, he robbed several banks. After being caught by the police, Roberts went to jail.
In 1980 he managed to break out of there and go to India, where he founded his own casting agency for Bollywood film productions and a rock band. He also worked alongside the local drug mafia. On their behalf, he tried to enter Germany in 1990, but was arrested and extradited to his homeland. During his six years in prison in Frankfurt and Australia, Roberts wrote the novel Shantaram, inspired by his experiences.
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The serial adaptation of “Shantaram” starts on October 14, 2022 worldwide and exclusively on the Apple TV+ streaming service. The first three episodes will be made available on this date. Another one will follow every Friday.
Convicted of bank robbery, heroin junkie Lindsay Ford (Charlie Hunnam) escapes from an Australian prison and flees to Bombay. In the slums there, due to some rudimentary medical knowledge, he advances to become a kind of healer for the poorest of the poor among the population.
However, he doesn’t manage to leave his criminal past behind and keeps collaborating with local gangsters. As the police close in on him, Lindsay falls in love with the mysterious Karla (Antonia Desplat). He soon has to choose between his romantic feelings for her and his freedom…
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Filmed in South East Australia and Bhopal, India, the creators and authors of the series are Eric Warren Singer (“Top Gun 2: Maverick) and Steve Lightfoot (Hannibal, Marvel’s The Punisher). The latter also acts as showrunner. Four of the twelve episodes of Season 1 were directed by Assassin’s Creed director Justin Kurzel.
Charlie Hunnam stars in the lead role. Moviegoers also know the “Sons Of Anarchy” star from “King Arthur” and “The Gentlemen”. Other important parts will be performed by Antonia Desplat (“The French Dispatch”), Richard Roxburgh from “Moulin Rouge”, Alexander Siddig (“Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”), Fayssal Bazzi (“Stateless”) and Radhika Apte (“Vikram Vedha”).
Here comes the trailer again in English for all original sound enthusiasts:
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