01x03 - Strange Bedfellows

Episode transcripts for the TV show "Shantaram". Aired: October 14, 2022 - present.*
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A heroin addict incarcerated for a robbery escapes prison and reinvents himself as a doctor; based on the novel by the same name.
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01x03 - Strange Bedfellows

Post by bunniefuu »

Come on! Let's use all the water we have!

Hurry up! Hurry up!
Use sheets to put out the fire.

Tear down these huts.
We need to make a firebreak.

I hate these fires.
You want to k*ll me? Come on!

What's burning?

It's Sagar Wada.

It's where Lin was staying.

You said yourself he's gone.

I'm cold.

All right. You have to keep this clean.
You understand?

Understand. Okay.

All right. Good man.

Salaam alaikum, Mr. Lin.

Wa alaikumu assalam.

I'm Qasim Ali, headman here.

Prabhu has told me all about you.

Thank you, Mr. Lin.

Thank you for what you are doing.

Well, I could do more
with better supplies.

If you get me whatever you have...

Some of these people need hospital,
dr*gs, IVs.

Yes, but none of these things
will be coming here.

You already have what we have, huh?

Parvati?

Can someone take a look at Lakshmi?

What happened? What happened, Lakshmi?

Lin, come here!

Okay, bring her here.

I need another table,
to lie her down.

Slowly. Easy, easy.

Okay. You're all right. No, you're okay.

You're all right. Easy. You're all right.

Ask her if she's having trouble breathing.

Huh?

She needs a hospital
to take out that metal.

- What, you can't do this?
- No. No way.

I think it's punctured her lung.

- Mom.
- Ravi!

No. No, no, no! It came out.

- Ravi!
- Mom!

Prabhu! Put your hands on there,
all right?

Solid pressure.

Move your hands. Move your hands!

- I need you to hold her. All right?
- Okay.

- Don't let her move.
- Okay.

Tell her this is gonna help her breathe.

Don't touch her!

Get away from my mother!

Qasim,
I need to be able to hear.

Ravi, stop!
He's trying to help her.

- Ravi.
- That good?

- Ravi. Ravi.
- Mom!

Ravi.

sh*t. f*ck.

- What happened?
- She needs a doctor now.

Move! Move!

Prabhu, help me lift her.

On three. One, two, three.

- Mom.
- Mr. Lin, where are you taking her?

She needs a doctor,
or she's gonna die quickly.

Then let her die
surrounded by the people she loves.

I want her to live
with the people she loves,

not die with them. Prabhu?

- This is wrong.
- On three. One, two, three.

- Ravi.
- Lakshmi, it's okay.

- We're taking you to the doctor.
- Go, go, go!

Ravi. Ravi! Ravi.

Don't worry, Ravi.
They're helping your mother.

Lin.

Lin, listen!

She's not dying, Prabhu.
Not because of me.

Hey! We need help!

Hey! Stop! Hey!

- Prabhu, Prabhu.
- We got a dying woman here!

Prabhu. Prabhu.

Hey. Hey, stop!

Lin, stop! Enough!

What did she say?

It does not matter.

I want to know.

She asked for Ravi.

They'll be back soon.

Oh.

How many huts have b*rned?

Thirty. Mine included.

Mom!

I will go get
some food and chai, okay?

I'm not hungry.

Lin.

You were trying to do the best thing.
I know this. So you can...

This was my fault.

Prabhu, if I hadn't been here,
this fire would've never happened...

Lin, please. Please.

Fires, they happen here.

You think I'm not hating
Lakshmi is gone, huh?

This time, we are lucky.

Last year, there was much bigger fire,
much more of the jhopadpatti was b*rned.

More than 20 d*ed.

I will bring food, okay?

Drop the... f*ck. f*ck.

Drop the clipboard and put your hands up.

Get the f*ck on.

Don't touch
any f*cking alarm buttons, all right?

Could you ladies fill these bags up,
please?

It's all insured.
It's really not worth worrying about.

Just do what he says.

- Please… Laura.
- Okay, okay, okay.

Why don't you get a job,
you lazy bastards?

Hey! Excuse me,
this is our job, you fat ass.

Don't get in the way of us doing it,
all right?

Come on, love. It's all good.
You just need to fill the bag.

Can't you see she's terrified?

Just fill the bag!

Out of the way! Out of the way!
Move! Move!

Watch it.

Sorry, mate. My fault.

Hey. Get off me.

Drop the bloody g*n.

Get off me! Bastard.
Drop the g*n!

Get the f*ck off me.

- Drop the g*n! Drop it! Drop it!
- Okay. Okay. Okay!

What did you do?

Move.

Dale.

Dale, f*cking move.

Now. Come on.

Dale.

Somebody, call an ambulance.

Okay. Hey, hey. Stay with me. Hey.

You're all right, mate. You're all right.

Stay with me.

Get away from him!

Salaam alaikum, Walidbhai.

Alaikumu assalam, Khaderbhai.

Interesting choice of location.

Sad to think how many men
once earned a living here in better days.

Arre, everything has its use-by date, huh?

And everyone.

Now, you wanted to talk.
This is where we can do it.

Rujul Aadekar is dead.

Had I been in your shoes,
I would have done exactly the same.

All the companies are at peace.

Our men are not k*lling
and sh**ting each other in the streets,

and everyone is satisfied.

The companies are at peace
because they're run by tired, old men

who've settled for the status quo.

Except yours?

Except mine.

Rujul, he believed you are weak, huh?

Certainty of what is right
does not make anyone weak,

or you'd still be running
the passport market in Colaba, not me.

Is that what this is, Walid?

You want to start a w*r
over your hurt pride?

I'm not starting anything.
This is business, yaar.

Sagar Wada is worth a fortune.
So, I simply made Rujul a better offer.

I am not going to lose Sagar Wada.

Is that a thr*at?

A simple statement of fact.

For you maybe, chachu, huh?

You see, one man can say
his wife is beautiful,

and another only sees a pig.

You see, I think it is a simple fact
that I have more men and money than you.

I think it is a simple fact
that women and dr*gs are the future,

and yet you choose to stay in the past.

You have to give the people
what they want, Khaderbhai.

Otherwise, you are consigned to history.

Maybe I'll build a big statue of you
at the gates of my Sagar Wada, huh?

Always a pleasure talking with you,
Walidbhai.

You're awake? Good. Come.
Something you gotta see, boss.

All right. Just give me a minute.

Come, na.

Hey.

What are they all doing?

They're your patients.

What are you talking about?

They all know about
the doctoring you did last night,

so now they wait to see you.

No. No. I'm not...

- Lin, no... no problem waiting, Linbaba.
- I can't.

They're here more than one hour already.
I told them you must sleep.

Prabhu.

Even if you were not here,
they would still be waiting,

but waiting for nothing only.

And that kills the heart.

But waiting for something,
that is different, na?

I can't do that.
Look, I'm not even a doctor.

Even bad doctor better than no doctor.

I'm not saying you are bad…

…only that if you were, it would be okay.
Lin, please.

- Prabhu.
- Lakshmi was going to die anyway.

And we will grieve her.

But that is how it is sometimes.

- How are you, Prabhu?
- Okay.

Mr. Lin.

Look, I wanna say sorry about last night.
You were right. I should have listened.

Qasim, is he going to help us?

I wanted to run more than ever,

take the second chance Karla's money
had given me and get out of Bombay,

despite what helping me
had done to these people.

It will be good, you'll see.

God willing.

This is a lot of money
to be giving away, Linbaba.

Yeah, well,
I'm gonna need a lot of things.

But why you do this?

I've got my reasons.

Go on, take it.
Use it to rebuild the homes that b*rned.

Please.

I will make sure
every paisa is well spent.

All right!
Just two more minutes. Okay?

Okay.

Put some of this on, all right?

It had to be me.

Another man with my training wouldn't
have been forced by crime into the slum.

Another criminal wouldn't have had
my training.

I didn't get the joke,
and fate didn't make me laugh.

But I knew I couldn't leave.

We have 20 more patients.

Okay? Out. Okay.

Let's go. Let's go.

Hi.

You need to eat.

Breakfast of champions.

You can be such a child sometimes.

Are you angry with me
for helping you get clean?

You're the one who's angry.

Does it piss you off so much
that you have to look after me?

I want you to look after yourself, Lisa.

But you won't,
because you like being powerless,

because it makes you the center
of whatever universe you happen to be in.

Some people look after you
because they love you.

That's not a bad thing.

And what happens when they aren't there?

You can't spend your life
refusing to care for anyone

in case they leave.

I can't do this, Lisa. Not now.

I don't wanna fight with you,
not with everything else.

I'm sorry.

You're right.
I'm being a selfish, spoiled bitch.

What is it?

Yesterday, all I could think about
was not being weak.

And now, I close my eyes,
and all I see is Rujul dead.

Khader knew.

He tried to protect me,
and the more he did…

…the more I was determined
to prove myself I could handle it.

You don't have to prove anything, Karla.

If I don't, the deal will fall apart.

And would that be so bad?

When is the last time
you let yourself go and felt happy?

Truly happy?

Let's be f*cked-up together.

I promise to eat some of this
and not be a royal pain in the ass,

if you promise to stay here with me
and play records with me like old times

until we run out of booze and hash.

Hmm?

Okay.

You are needing rest?
I can tell them to come back tomorrow.

No, I'm good.

Stop!
Dr. Lin will be taking a break now.

Uh, this is a thank-you, Dr. Lin.

Oh, well, it was actually Prabhu's idea.

It was my idea.

He talked Qasim Ali into it
and let me use his hut.

I talked Qasim Ali into it.

It was Prabhu
who, um, got all the supplies.

- I got the supplies.
- Huh.

Prabhu,
this was a good thing that you did.

You need help with patients?

Oh, no. We're good, thank you.

This is great though.

Very good, huh, Linbaba?
Very slick, very smooth,

until you sent her away. Parvati!

Thank you, huh?

If you like, I will bring back
your tray when we are finished.

At the chai shop.

You'll be there?

I'll be there.

All right, what are you staring at?

Haven't you got work to do?

Let's go.

You are enjoying, huh?

Mmm, yummy, yummy.

The Palace operates
on an appointment-only basis.

The Palace operates because we let it.

Tell Zhou we're here. Go.

I'm not some helpless girl, Padma,
that will bend to your discipline.

You will need to leave
any weapons you carry here.

No, I won't.

This is an honor, Khaderbhai.
Can I get you something to drink or eat?

Recently, I spent a solemn moment
with Rujul Aadekar.

This morning,
I spent some time with Walid Shah.

And now, I've come to see you.

I do not approve of your business,

but I understand
it is a business that must exist.

So, you've been allowed
to come here and prosper.

But there has been one condition
to your success. Neutrality.

I made a mistake, Khaderbhai.

I can only apologize.

At first, I assumed you knew of it.

When I realized this wasn't the case,
it was too late.

As you say,
my position here in Bombay is vulnerable...

You do not play the victim well, Madame.

I hope you were better at faking
back when you were a mistress and a whore.

Like I said, I made a mistake.

But if I was going to die for it,

I don't think you would come here yourself
to watch it happen.

Dead, you are of no use to me.
Alive, maybe I could use you.

Understand that when I leave this place,
I will take your life with me

as collateral against the debt
that you now owe.

And when I ask something of you,
you will do it,

or this place will burn
as your funeral pyre.

How did you know?

Was it Karla Saaranen?

Who?

I do not know that name.

Rujul belonged to me.

I knew him better than he knew himself.

So I had him followed,
where he went, what he did, who he saw.

He was stupid to think otherwise.

It was his stupidity that got him k*lled.

I hope you're not stupid, Madame.

Linbaba, we are now going
to build the pyre for Lakshmi's funeral

if you want to come.

Ah, I'm sorry, Johnny.
I got no right to be there.

Prabhu told me you blame yourself.

Prabhu talks too much.

Yeah.

Khaderbhai gave you your life today.
Is this wise?

My life isn't any man's to give or take.

I know their business as well as them.

All these bhais… f*ck them.

Maybe it's time for the behains, Padma.

We had a deal, you and I.

If you're talking about Lisa,
I kept my part of it.

Lisa is gone.

I don't see how that is my fault.

Then why are you scared, Maurizio?

I am not.

I think you are.

I think maybe it's the only time
when men and women can truly be the same,

when they're powerless and terrified.

But women are forced to feel it
so much more than men.

By men, usually.

Why am I here?

There is a way for you to earn
my forgiveness.

I'm listening.

I want you to sell brown sugar for me
in Colaba.

Colaba is Khaderbhai's territory.

But he doesn't sell heroin there.

Neither does anyone else.

I owe him no loyalty. Do you?

Me?

I owe loyalty to no one.

Which is honest, at least.

My terms are simple.

My name is never mentioned.
You keep 20% of the profit.

Forty. I'm taking all of the risk.

I'm not negotiating with you.

How much are we talking about?

I have access to as much Afghan dope
as you can sell.

Okay then. You have a deal.

Then you have nothing to fear.

Mr. Lin?

My name's Abdullah Taheri.

I have someone who wants to meet you.

Okay. Who is it?

Please.

Mr. Lindsay Ford?

Just "Lin" works.

I'm pleased to meet you.
I've heard good things.

It's always nice to hear good things
about foreigners here in Bombay.

You might have heard of me also.
My name is Abdel Khader Khan.

So, you are the doctor
in the hutments now.

Well, I'm, uh...
I'm a long way from being a doctor.

Well, maybe that is why
you are doing so well.

Doctors do not go
into the jhopadpatti willingly.

We can compel men not to be bad,

but we cannot compel them to do good,
don't you find?

I, uh, never really thought about it.

I wonder what compels you.

Is there something I can do for you?

I don't know yet.

That is why I am here,

to invite you to spend some time with me
and my friend Abdullah.

All right. I mean no offense,
but I'm just gonna say this.

You have a fairly scary reputation.

So you just turning up like this,
you can see why I might be a bit nervous

about jumping in the back of your car
and letting you drive me away.

I give you my word.
No harm will come to you this night.

Do I have a choice?

You always have a choice.

In the end, I think that is all we have.

Okay.

So much for curfew.

The authorities know

that civilized people in large cities need
places to gather and hunt.

So certain establishments are permitted
to pay a bribe, and order is preserved.

Officially, the law remains.
It's just not enforced.

Who gets to decide which laws get enforced
and which ones don't?

Someone once said the worst thing
about corruption as a system of governance

is that it works so well.

Ramesh!

How is your father?

- He is well, Khaderbhai.
- Thank you.

But I am having a problem.

Tell me.

Bhai, it's about my landlord.

He is demanding double rent already.

He wants to evict us, not just me,
but all the families in my building.

He has goondas,
and his goondas b*at us badly.

Even my own father.

Then he is not well.

No, sir.
He is too proud to ask you for help

and doesn't want to disturb your peace.

But I…

You're a good son.

We won't do anything to hurt his pride.

And there will be no need
to speak to your father about this…

…until the problem is solved, inshallah.

- Thank you, thank...
- Okay, okay. Yes, yes, yes.

How much did you understand?

Um, not much. Um, something about
his home and his father.

Their landlord wants them
out of their place.

By force, if necessary.

So you thr*aten
the man who threatens them?

Do you approve?

I don't think you need my approval.

You're Abdel Khader Khan.

Just because I can easily do something
doesn't always mean I should.

Humor me. If it were you?

I think if I liked Ramesh
and this landlord was out of line,

then I'd do what I could for him.

Even if it meant acting against the law?

Who gets to choose which laws get enforced
and which ones don't?

In the end, regardless of laws
or who chooses,

each one of us, every atom in every galaxy
in every universe,

is moving towards God.

I don't believe in God.

Then we have much more to talk about,
you and I.

Let's go.
We will take him to the club.

- You said you'd stay with me.
- No. I just didn't say I wouldn't.

Your deal.

I've come too far, Lisa.
I don't have a choice.

Can't disappoint Mr. Khader Khan.

Stay. Please.

For both of us.

I can see what this is doing to you.
You know it too.

You just won't admit it.

Choose me. Stay with me.

Because this matters the most.

I care about you. You know that.

But you're choosing him anyway.

This club has the best ghazel singers
in Bombay.

What are ghazels?

Love songs. Love songs to God.

No matter what you might think,
there is no believing in God.

We either know him or we do not.

Well, I don't know God,
but I think he's pretty much impossible.

The fact that God is impossible
is proof he exists.

So does that mean
that all possible things don't exist?

I'm delighted you understand.

I really don't.

You're in trouble now, my friend.

Nothing exists as we see it.
Our eyes are liars.

Everything that seems real
is part of the illusion.

You, me, this room.

So if everything's an illusion,
how do we know what to do, how to live?

We lie.

The sane man is simply a better liar
than the insane man.

Your eyes lie.

What you think you know tells you
this is not so, but it's true.

We prefer the lie because it's easier.

That's how we stay sane?

I am not married, and I have no sons.

But if I tell you that I see it clearly
that you are my son,

Abdullah is your brother,
I am your father,

you will think that is impossible.

You will resist it. You do. I see it.

You prefer to believe the lie
that we are all strangers,

and there is no connection between us.

I have a father.

And I don't know you. You don't know me.

I think maybe I do.

What do you lie to yourself about,
Mr. Lin?

I don't. I'm finished with that.

I know what I am,
what I've done, what I owe.

I have decided to like Lin.

How did you like the music?

Ah, it's incredible.
I never heard anything like it before.

Can I ask you something?

All this, tonight…
Why'd you bring me here?

What do you want from me?

What are you doing here?

Listening, drinking tea,

learning that the world as I know it
is an illusion.

I'm pretty stoned.

You were meant to leave Bombay.

Who is your friend, Mr. Lin?

This is Karla Saaranen.

Are we friends?

I don't know.

Let's just say Karla has had a full and
central part of my life in Bombay so far.

Real or not.

I think she's real.

In fact,

Karla proves that I'm right.

If I invented her,
she would be a lot nicer to me.

Karla, allow me to introduce
Abdullah Taheri,

my brother from another mother,
apparently,

recently reunited by my newest
acquaintance, Mr. Abdel Khader Khan.

- You've probably heard of him.
- Of course.

It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Saaranen.

Likewise.
How do you all come to know each other?

Fate saw fit to throw us together.

Funny how that happens.

Yeah, well, "Misery acquaints a man
with strange bedfellows."

Who's the monster?

What do you mean?

That line is spoken by a man
who lies down with a monster.

Ms. Saaranen knows her Shakespeare.

Someone once told me

that all the questions
and most of the answers in life

can be found in Shakespeare.

Would you like to join us?

I can't. I've got guests of my own.

We have business to conclude.
I should get back to them.

Good luck with your business.

Inshallah.

Enjoy the rest of your evening, gentlemen.

It has been a pleasure, Lin.

Was this some kind of test?

Why do you help in Sagar Wada?

They needed it.

An act of nobility then?

Nah, there's nothing noble about me.
You can trust me on that.

There are no good men or bad men.

It is what they do, or refuse to do,
that makes them good or evil.

This place means a great deal to me.

Thank you for tonight, Mr. Khan.

Please, call me Khaderbhai.

Khaderbhai.

Close enough.

Maybe fate brought me together
with these men, father and brother.

But everything that came after
was down to my own choices,

just like Khader had said.

You took her away.
You took my mother away.

She was all I had.

Yeah.

I didn't mean to, but I did.

I'm tired, Ravi, of getting it
so f*cking wrong all the time.

Are you gonna use that?

Ravi!

What are you doing, Ravi?

Ravi, my son…

Your mother is gone.

Do this,
and you'll lose yourself forever also.

Understand?

This child does not deserve

to carry your m*rder
on his conscience, Mr. Lin.

And you are a selfish fool
for not knowing better.

Go to my hut.
You will stay with my family now.

No. Uncle Qasim, please.
I won't hurt him, but…

Ravi. Do as I say.

Go.

What did you say to him?

That he will stay with my family now.

Lakshmi's hut will now be yours, Mr. Lin.

When people here need your help,
this is where they will find you.

This is not a gift I'm giving you.

Yeah.
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