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Apple TV’s Ambitious $100M Cancelled Crime Drama Deserves a Second Look
Apple TV's crime drama *Shantaram*, based on Gregory David Roberts' semi-autobiographical 2003 novel, is worth revisiting despite being cancelled after a single season in 2022. Reportedly made on a budget of around $100 million, the series exemplifies Apple TV's willingness to invest heavily in ambitious productions, and its sprawling scope, while sometimes a weakness, is also part of its appeal.
The show follows Dale Conti (Charlie Hunnam), an Australian convict who escapes prison and flees to Bombay under a false identity as "Lin" Ford, seeking to reinvent himself. There he befriends guide Prabhu (Shubham Saraf), becomes entangled with the enigmatic Karla Saaranen (Antonia Desplat) and crime lord Abdel Khader Khan (Alexander Siddig), and is drawn into the city's criminal underworld even as he tries to help impoverished slum residents. Across 12 episodes, Hunnam's nuanced performance as a man wrestling with guilt and the consequences of his good intentions is highlighted as the series' strongest asset.
In short
- Apple TV's $100m drama Shantaram was cancelled after one season in 2022
- Based on Gregory David Roberts' novel about a fugitive reinventing himself in Bombay
- Charlie Hunnam's performance is praised as the show's standout element
Explained simply
Shantaram is a crime drama adapted from Gregory David Roberts’ 2003 novel, which draws on his life. It follows Australian prison escapee Dale Conti, who arrives in Bombay under the name Lin Ford and tries to build a new life.
Lin is drawn into the city’s criminal underworld while forming relationships with local guide Prabhu, Karla Saaranen and crime lord Abdel Khader Khan. His efforts to help people living in poverty sit alongside his struggle with guilt and the effects of his choices.
The series ran for one season on Apple TV in 2022 and was then cancelled. Its reported budget of about $100 million reflects the scale of the production and the platform’s investment in ambitious drama.
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