Shantaram Book to TV Series:

I am so excited about the new television series coming to Apple TV based on the book Shantaram! If you are a subscriber to my YouTube channel you know that I am a fan of the actor Charlie Hunnam. I binged Sons of Anarchy back in 2016 for the first time. Soon after King Arthur: Legend of the Sword was released and I’ve been fascinated ever since. So I am over the moon to find out that Charlie Hunnam would be returning to the small screen in the Shantaram Book to TV Series project.

Now I’ve never heard of Shantaram before despite it being a memoir of sorts and best selling novel in 39 languages and 42 territories. So in true Jade fashion, I’m reading the book before the series begins. Despite being a fan of Charlie Hunnam, I’m always of the mind that the book is better. About 99% of the time this turns out to be true with the rarest of exceptions in my humble opinion.

Shantaram tells the story of a man named Lin who is on the run from the Australian Prison System. He finds sanctuary on the streets of Bombay but cut off from everything he’s ever known.

Book Synopsis:

So begins this epic, mesmerizing first novel by Gregory David Roberts. Set in the underworld of contemporary Bombay. Shantaram is narrated by Lin, an escaped convict with a false passport. He flees maximum security prison in Australia for the teeming streets of a city where he can disappear.

Accompanied by his guide and faithful friend, Prabaker, the two enter Bombay’s hidden society of beggars and gangsters, prostitutes and holy men, soldiers and actors, and Indians and exiles from other countries. All who seek, in this remarkable place, what they cannot find elsewhere.

As a hunted man without a home, family, or identity, Lin searches for love and meaning. He runs a clinic in one of the city’s poorest slums and serves his apprenticeship in the dark arts of the Bombay mafia. The search leads him to war, prison torture, murder, and a series of enigmatic and bloody betrayals. The keys to unlock the mysteries and intrigues that bind Lin are held by two people. The first is Khader Khan: mafia godfather, criminal-philosopher-saint, and mentor to Lin in the underworld of the Golden City. The second is Karla: elusive, dangerous, and beautiful, whose passions are driven by secrets that torment her and yet give her a terrible power.

The Story Continues

There is a sequel to this book called The Mountain Shadow which was published in 2015. So it’s possible this Book to TV Series will run for a little while if it is well received. So I’m going to get to reading and you all be on the lookout. The Shantaram Book to TV Series is scheduled to drop on Nov 1 on Apple TV! Join me in tuning in!  In the meantime, check out what I have recently been listening to, watching and reading!