Shantaram

SHANTARAM SEASON 01 # EPISODE 01 "The Three Nos"

It took me a long time and some hard lessons...

to learn what I know about love, fate, and chasing redemption.

That story saw me beaten, loved, befriended, and chained...

on 3 continents.

But it started with a simple choice...

escape or die.

Back in here at 1 o'clock, you bludgers.

Not quarter past after a smoke. You hear me?

Yeah, yeah. I know.

Ooh, here he comes. Hello, doggy.

Psst! -

You fucking dog! -

You're in trouble now, mate. Dead man!

You're gonna get yours, dog.

You're a dead man.

They let Barnes out of the slot.

I know. I just saw him. I thought he had another month to do.

He's got friends in high places, hasn't he?

I'm not ready.

Dale, would you just forget about escaping?

Tell that bloody cop what he wants to know.

And then what? I'm not a dog, Ned.

Well, every fucking convict out there already thinks that you are.

Shit, Barnes, he almost killed you last time, didn't he?

What, you think he's just gonna not finish the job?

Fuck it. I'm going now. - You're what?

Dale! What about me?

You gotta take me with you.

Dale. Dale!

It's nearly one o'clock. It's never gonna work with these things.

Dale, we've gotta go back.

Dale, listen to me!

We can get back onto the wing before the next count.

There's a buzz saw downstairs.

No. They'll know it was missing. - Or they won't.

Well, they'll bloody well hear it, won't they?

We'll wait until the work crew come back.

It won't work. - It will work.

Because they'd never think a convict would be stupid enough to use a power saw...

to escape over the front wall.

And they'd be bloody well right. Fuck this, man. We have to go back.

Mate, I can't go back.

Come on, come on. You 4.

We need to make a start...

and then bring those upstairs, through into the back.

Fuck it!

Fuck.

Stay tight. They can't see us from here.

Okay.

How high is it?

30, 40 feet, maybe. - Uh-huh.

We could bloody break our legs.

Move. - Dale, I'm scared of heights.

You're gonna be fine, mate. -

You know what? You go, all right? I'm gonna go back, but you go.

For fuck's sake. Calm down. - Just let me go. I can't fucking do this.

You can't go back. 'Cause then they're gonna know I'm gone.

Yeah b... - Hey, yeah. Mate, you're going 1ˢᵗ.

Fuck.

In that moment, I was waiting for the rifle shot.

I didn't dare think I might be free.

The cops been here?

No.

Where did you go before coming here?

I didn't.

Not to your mother?

That's the 1ˢᵗ place they'd be waiting.

I was the next person you thought of. Why?

I don't know.

I didn't give it much thought. I just jumped the wall and got away.

I didn't have much of a plan beyond that. -

Well, I'm sure you have friends who can be much more use in your current situation.

Practically, I mean, to a fugitive.

You're not my student anymore, Dale.

And I'm not in the business of helping escaped convicts.

Sir, I had to escape.

They were gonna kill me in there. I really didn't have a choice.

Choice is all you have.

That's easy to say.

I mean, I can't go back to college. I can't be a paramedic.

There's not much left.

I was so proud… …of getting out of where I came from...

of how proud my mum was...

proud of what you saw in me.

And now look at me.

I'm a failed student, a failed son...

a failed criminal, failed addict.

You're better than all those things.

No.

No, I know what I did...

what I need to pay for.

Dying in prison wasn't gonna make it right.

You haven't escaped anything unless you go on to something, so...

what do you want to be?

I wanna be the man I was gonna be before all of this.

You can't. Not here. Not anymore.

Then I have to leave.

Mmm.

Why?

Because I know who you really are.

And I think you came here to have someone remind you of it.

No more guns, Dale.

No more armed robberies or heroin.

Don't you make me into a fool.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Bombay.

While opening the overhead compartments…

Go. Go on. - …please take care.

The 1ˢᵗ thing I noticed was the smell.

In that 1ˢᵗ Bombay minute, I didn't recognize it.

But I do now. It was the smell of hope.

Next. Ladies and gentlemen...

welcome to Bombay International Airport…

But standing there with another man's name and fake passport...

hope and fear felt much the same.

Good morning, sir! Namaskar!

I am number 1 guide in Bombay.

I know everything there is to know about my golden city.

You are in need of assistance? I can show you everything.

Hey... Thank you, but no. - Sir, let me assist you, sir.

Yes, sir.

But forgive me, sir, this was only a 1-time no, huh?

And here in my India, a 1-time no is not a true no.

Yeah? So what's a true no?

Only after 3 noes, it is a true no.

Please, sir, allow me to show you cheap, clean hotel.

And after, you decide what to pay.

What if I decide to pay nothing?

Then that is your choice, sir.

But I don't believe it's a choice you'll be making.

I am number 1 guide in Bombay.

Number 1 pain in the arse. -

Yes, sir. Very big, sir. Everyone agrees. You are knowing me too well.

Ah, you want to see our merch? No.

Sir.

Myself, Prabhu.

Lindsay.

Lin-see. - Lindsay.

Lin-see. Sir, don't mind, huh?

But… …this is a not-so-good name.

No? - No. No, thank you.

It is too long and squeaky for, uh, how Indian people speak.

Okay. - I think short name, short name.

That's... - "Lin" is better.

Yeah, no problem. - You do not object? I can call you Lin?

Uh, Lin's fine. - Very good.

Also, it has a very lucky meaning.

Oh, yeah? What's that? - "Great penis."

Great penis?

It is not meaning this exactly, but it is sounding like ling...

and that is meaning, "great big penis."

Watch out.

No, no, no. I'm telling you...

it is full power name, too lucky name.

Everyone will love this name when they hear it. You'll see.

Okay, you win.

Show me a hotel.

Sir, come, sir.

You like?

I like.

Where are you coming from?

New Zealand.

You studied philosophy, hmm?

How's that working for you?

That why we're here, to debate philosophy?

Oh.

What, you think you're too clever for me, do you, Dale?

I'm just a dumb policeman.

But years of experience has given me a philosophy...

based on, uh, you know, empiric research...

that, just like day follows night, every man succumbs to his nature...

even a smart boy like you.

You think your mother's proud?

I was watching her in the courtroom, blaming herself.

Well, you broke her heart. - Don't talk about her.

You know why you are worse than all the scumbags in here?

Because you had the chance to be different.

All the advantages she worked so hard to give you, and yet here you are.