Halfway in, the adaptation of Gregory David Roberts' cult novel which had been in the works for 15 years is a faithful, even respectful rendition of its source - maybe a little too much so.
The first few episodes take their time to establish the lead and a plethora of side characters, but as I had feared, seeing the story onscreen takes away a good deal of its mystique. Because this is supposed to be an autobiographic account, after all, the facts of which are that Roberts was indeed an addict who escaped prison and then lived in India before getting arrested in Germany with a fake passport. Everything else about his account is increasingly hazy, and that is definitely why the adaptation fell through many times before.
Consequently, the escape scene in the beginning is already the strongest in the series so far, because it mirrors what actually happened. With Lin's arrival in Bombay, the spectator is forced to share his romanticized views on the slums, crime lords and inequality, so I would not be surprised at all if Indians are less enticed by the story. Once Lin moves into the slums, the plot becomes reminiscent of the Patrick Swayze film "City of Joy".
The novel does a splendid job of suspending disbelief, offering words of wisdom which make one want to believe the story to be true. The series cannot replicate that sensation of being tempted into a luring world of real-life adventure, so it definitely does not provide a substitute to reading the book. For those of you who have, "Shantaram" is a lavish, satisfying trip down memory lane, but for those of you who haven't, I'd strongly recommend reading before watching.
Update: Unfortunately, the writers were gunning for Season 2 in the second half and therefore dragged the story which frustrated viewers familiar with the novel. Consequently many lost patience with the show and Apple canceled it. So this is a good example for great source material being adapted inadequately.
The first few episodes take their time to establish the lead and a plethora of side characters, but as I had feared, seeing the story onscreen takes away a good deal of its mystique. Because this is supposed to be an autobiographic account, after all, the facts of which are that Roberts was indeed an addict who escaped prison and then lived in India before getting arrested in Germany with a fake passport. Everything else about his account is increasingly hazy, and that is definitely why the adaptation fell through many times before.
Consequently, the escape scene in the beginning is already the strongest in the series so far, because it mirrors what actually happened. With Lin's arrival in Bombay, the spectator is forced to share his romanticized views on the slums, crime lords and inequality, so I would not be surprised at all if Indians are less enticed by the story. Once Lin moves into the slums, the plot becomes reminiscent of the Patrick Swayze film "City of Joy".
The novel does a splendid job of suspending disbelief, offering words of wisdom which make one want to believe the story to be true. The series cannot replicate that sensation of being tempted into a luring world of real-life adventure, so it definitely does not provide a substitute to reading the book. For those of you who have, "Shantaram" is a lavish, satisfying trip down memory lane, but for those of you who haven't, I'd strongly recommend reading before watching.
Update: Unfortunately, the writers were gunning for Season 2 in the second half and therefore dragged the story which frustrated viewers familiar with the novel. Consequently many lost patience with the show and Apple canceled it. So this is a good example for great source material being adapted inadequately.