Shantaram (2022–…): Season 1, Episode 8 - Like in the Time of Cholera - full transcript

Two, four, six, eight!
We don't wanna radiate!

Two, four, six, eight!
We don't wanna radiate!

Stay back! Stay back!

Hey, hi. I got stung.

Have a seat.

On such things do revolutions founder.

Are you taking the piss?

Yeah, a bit.

Hardly Joan of Arc stuff, is it?

Yeah, well, it really hurt, all right?

I suppose you think they should just
kick all of our heads in, hey?



Never mind our right
to peacefully protest.

What, you think I'm with them?

I'm a student here.
It's just my weekend gig to pay the rent.

You go here?

Philosophy undergrad.

May not change the world,
but I'll think about it.

So, what? Are you, like, a mature student?
I mean, how old are you anyway?

Takes some of us a little longer
to get to where we need to be.

Are you with me?

Shouldn't you be out there?

- What's your name?
- Gemma.

Nice to meet you, Gemma. I'm Dale.

So, Dale…

bet you've got a lot of fun drugs in here.



I can get you some aspirin if you want.

Boring.

You always this boring, Dale?

If you're gonna be rude, I might have
to throw you out of my ambulance.

I'm staying right here with you.

You're okay.

What are you doing here?

I just wanted
to see you one last time, baby.

I owe you that.

One last time?

They sentenced you to 19 years, Dale.

I did it so we could go to India.

Baby, I don't want you to worry about me.

I got clean.

Dad paid for a clinic.

I'm gonna be all right.

You're gonna be all right?

Hey. Hey, hey, hey.

Hey, hey. Take it easy.

No, no. You can't be here.

- Just lay down.
- I have cholera.

It's not safe.

It's okay.

Who's Gemma, by the way?

What are you doing here?

Maybe you're not the only one
who needs a salvation ride.

Can you have some of that?

Stand back against the wall.

You... You cover that side!

You... You with me. Find her!

Go! Go!

Down here!

She's here.

Take her back.

Leave me. Leave me.

Leave me.

Please tell your parents
to sell this goddamn sixth-floor flat

and buy a new one of a nice new building

with a lift.

Please take these inside.

What is all this?

Red notices.

You know, if Lin is a fugitive,
we will find him here in these files.

Officer Mishra here
is one of the conditions I had to agree to

since CBI property
is technically not allowed off-site.

So your apartment is now
a temporary CBI facility

with a staff of exactly one.

Any other conditions I should know?

Oh, haan, also promised my uncle
we'd give him the lead

if Lin's involved in something serious.

If he's in here,
then it is something serious.

I feel so much better.

Did you undress me?

I couldn't let you lie in your own mess.

Why? Self-conscious?

Only that I shit myself.

Not exactly how I pictured you seeing me
for the first time, you know?

You pictured that, huh?

You're not a good person,
picking on a dying man.

You're not dying.
And I never said I was a good person.

Eat.

Good.

What did you mean before, about salvation?

What?

You said I wasn't the only one
who needed a salvation ride.

It's not nothing, you coming here.
Risking this.

I think it's 'cause you feel guilty.

So what am I guilty for?

Madame Zhou. The stuff at the Palace.

I mean, Zhou came after me,

so technically it's your fault
that I got robbed

and ended up here catching cholera,
almost dying.

Everything's my fault.

I'm joking.

Doesn't mean you're not right.

I did know the risk.
I just didn't know you. Not then.

So I used you.

When we were there, Zhou mentioned Ahmed,
the guy whose suit I was wearing.

- What happened there? Were you and he…
- No, no. God, no.

We were friends.

Ahmed was in love
with one of Zhou's girls, Christina.

Forced Zhou to let her go,
but Zhou couldn't let that stand.

And then she sent her guys after him?

After Christina.

Someone threw a jar of acid in her face.

Ahmed wanted revenge.

I thought I talked him down,
but I was wrong.

Body turned up a few days later.

Zhou killed him, not you.

Yeah.

Ahmed loved Christina.
And I never trusted her.

I thought she was just using him.

But he didn't wanna listen.

And then Christina got approached
about working at the Palace.

She knew I worked with Zhou,
so she came to me.

And I told her it was all gonna be okay.

I wanted her gone.

You can't blame yourself for that.

Someone came after you,
and that started the fire.

You told me that little boy's mom was dead
because of you.

How is that your fault, not theirs?

Ahmed is dead because of me.

Was Sunita here?

I know the face of every man
who comes into my house.

I have not seen you here before.

I can pay you some money.

I did have a girl named Sunita,
but she left the house a few days ago.

That's not enough.

It would be better if I didn't
commit your face to memory, yes?

I'm gonna have to leave town.

Kavita's been poking around me

since I got drunk
and ran my mouth at Reynaldo's.

She wants to do a story about me.

I could try and talk to her.
Convince her to stop.

Would you listen if you were her?
Or just get more excited?

I don't have a choice.

They find me,
I'm going back to jail, or worse.

But I don't wanna leave because…

'Cause I'm in love with you.

I told you how I feel about that.

Yeah, and I call bullshit.

Look, I'm not asking you to say it back,
and you can call it whatever you want,

- but you can't deny how you feel...
- I do like you, Lin.

I could get
head over heels in like with you.

That's probably another reason
why you should leave.

We need clean water.

Go. You have permission
to court my daughter.

What time is it?

Karla?

Look, look. Linbaba is okay now.

Arre, Linbaba!

Three whole days
since I have seen your face.

I am too happy you are alive.
What a lucky morning, yaar!

I have such good news, huh?

Just now, I was giving help
at Kumar's chai shop,

and they are telling me
I can court Parvati, boss!

- That's great. Listen, Prabhu.
- None of this would be possible without...

- Yes?
- I need to shit.

If I go, are they all gonna follow me?

I will deal with this for you.

Listen! Linbaba wants to go shit.

By himself!

- Thanks, mate.
- Welcome.

Come, come. So you slept okay?

Yeah.

Yeah? Where is Karla Ma'am?

Good question.

200,000.

It's all there.

That Lisa,

she's something, hey?

Her and I nearly broke the damn bed.

Shit nearly broke my damn dick.

I thought maybe she was your woman,

but no way you share
a piece like that, right?

You're right. It's all here.

- Oh, come on. This is silly.
- Arre, don't worry.

Go and do your business.
Do your business, yaar.

- Are you getting involved now too?
- I'm happy. That's why.

He isn't who you think he is.

Bastard!

He is a murderer!

What is this, Ravi?

He killed my mother.

- We talked about this...
- He killed her.

He tried
to save your mother's life, Ravi...

He set the fire.

I heard him and the gora woman.
He killed her!

- He started it!
- Listen to me.

Whatever you think you heard...

Look, Ravi,

by telling this lie,
you are the one setting the fire.

Lin was with me when the fire started.

No, he was with me.

He was with me.

If I hear this from you again,

I'll talk to Qasimbhai and tell him
you are spreading lies. Understand?

Now go.

Is that our money?

Raheem said you two had quite a time.

Was it worth it?

Did you enjoy it, Lisa?

Did I enjoy what?

The hours he spent fucking me?

No, look at me. You started this.

That's our money because of me.
Because of what I let him do to me.

I earned it.

I did my part for us, and I can be proud
of that unless you make it dirty.

Where are you going?

You gotta be kidding me.

You show up, start this bullshit,
and then run away?

You wanted this. Come on. Let's have it!

Sebastian...

Fuck is he doing here?

- These are Walid Shah's men.
- What do they want, Linbaba?

Deep down, I knew this was on me.

- My deal with the devil had just come due.
- Walidbhai sends a message.

There will be no more deals
with Khader Khan.

No more water for you.

Your water… done.

No, Linbaba, there are too many.

You're still on the wrong side,
doctor man.

Hey, what are you doing?

We'll visit every day.

Why are you doing this?

Happy, Mr. Lin?

See what happens
when you do deals with gangsters?

We're in the middle of a war now.
And you brought this on us.

This is all your fault.

Did you tell Khader I've been with Lin?

No.

That doesn't mean someone won't.
He has many new friends in Sagar Wada.

Because of Lin.

So much for us all staying away.

Yeah, Lin came to him.

How is he? Lin?

He'll be fine.

How are you?

I'll be fine too.

I know you don't like this,
but it will be over soon.

Sunita, yes?

I'm sorry to have kept you waiting
so long.

I know it hasn't been easy.

Sorry, let me speak in Hindi.

Are you Madame Zhou?

No, but I asked for you
to be brought here.

Padma bought your debt for me.

Why?

We have business, you and I.

I don't know what you are talking about.

Forget about that. I will get the money.

I have friends, important friends...

I want to talk about your friend.

Your friend from Khandala.

Do not say his name, Sunita.

Do as I ask.

Your debt will be paid.

You'll be free to go
and do whatever you want.

What do I have to do?

I need you to call your friend.

Tell him that everything is fine.
And invite him here for a visit.

Just a phone call and you're free.

No.

I know he's been good to you,
but is whatever he's paying worth this?

He's not paying, and I won't hurt him.

Not for a bitch like you.

I love him and he loves me. Understand?

Out.

Get out!

All right.

- You're all set, Johnny.
- Thank you, Linbaba.

Do you need something?

Ravi told me you were the one
who started the fire.

Pretty much.

Friends do not keep secrets.

Not about such things.

How am I supposed to help you
if I do not know you are needing help?

It's okay. I told Ravi
I was with you when the fire started.

Why would you lie?

It is in the past.

Let the lie be the truth
if it makes things better.

Like your medicine.

I see it. You're doing so many good things
to make up for one bad.

You know, you are leaving soon, na?

If you took away the people's faith now,
how selfish would that be?

I've been selfish the whole time.

How can you say this?

All the things you have done for us,
almost dying, bringing the water...

It wasn't about you. It was about me.

Qasim warned me about Khan,

and I went anyway because I wanted
to make myself feel better.

I wanted to pay my debt
so that I could leave.

And if you hadn't…

maybe my Parvati would be dead.

You are a good man,
and you think too much.

Whoever you're trying to manipulate,
this girl loves him.

And she believes he loves her.

You were listening.

Of course.

There is nothing more stupid or stubborn
than a whore in love.

Are you speaking from experience?

Is that hard to believe?

There are so many stories about you.

- Who knows?
- Yeah.

And I came up with most of them myself.

But the best tales
always have a bit of truth.

I'm sure you heard the one
where I was mistress to a KGB spymaster.

They say…

one day he left India, leaving me behind.

The men who were after him
caught me instead.

Used me to take out their frustrations.

The only thing stronger than love
is the hate left behind when it's gone.

Let the fear build.
Let this Sunita question her love.

Take that love away,
and she will do anything you want.

In the end, you will be doing her a favor.

Are you happy?

This place, what you've built,

does it bring you any pleasure?

It gives me power, control.

And those make you happy?

Happier than I was without them.

You never wish
you'd taken a different path?

To where?

What is happily ever after
for a forsaken whore?

Maybe we could ask your Sunita.

I'm back.

Do you want me to take this to Raheem?

No.

You know, I had a visit
from Abdullah Taheri the other night

- telling me to stop our dealing.
- The other... And you didn't tell me?

He could've been watching
when I went to Raheem for the money!

Yeah, well, how did he know, huh?

- Who did you tell?
- No, no one.

Fuck.

- What about Didier?
- Didier.

Didier, he...
You asked him to send us clients.

- Didier keeps half the secrets in Colaba.
- Fuck.

Who would want to fuck us this way?

What about Lin?

He's friends with Abdullah and Didier.

And you two hate each other.

You know, I saw them together
just the other day.

He made some stupid remark,
sacco di merda.

I should cut his fucking throat, that guy.

Lin.

You know, it... Well, fuck Lin.

Fuck Lin.

Fuck Lin, fuck Khader Khan,
fuck Raheem, and fuck Zhou, huh?

Modena, we keep this 200, okay?
We sell the drugs we have at a discount…

No, no.

…and get the fuck out of Bombay before
anybody knows we screwed them. Hey!

Look, if you're out,
I'm gonna go by myself,

- but you get none of this.
- Oh, fuck. Fuck.

- Fuck, fuck.
- None of this.

Look at me.

All or nothing, Modena.

Come on, Modena. Fuck them all.

Okay.

- Okay, okay.
- Okay? Sì?

- Okay. Yeah.
- Sì?

Okay.

Andiamo. Let's go, huh?

Walid Shah leads
one of the other companies.

Companies?

You mean gangs, right?

Why does he care
about you giving away water?

He knows I want to buy Sagar Wada.

He wants it also.

Lin.

At least sit.

Please.

- Drink something.
- No, thank you.

Sagar Wada sits on a large tract

of the most valuable real estate
in the world.

Walid Shah has bought
the loyalty of the land minister,

believing that he will still prevail.

But there are many thousands
who live in Sagar Wada,

and where there are people,
there is power.

Walid owns the minister.
He does not want me controlling the votes.

So you want them to do what?

Vote for the destruction
of their own homes?

It's a unique irony of our city

that the poor have no say
in whether they are evicted,

but they have a very great say
in who gets to evict them.

Do you not think I understand
what I'm taking from them?

How could you?

My own home was stolen from me
when I was 15.

That is not a pain that goes away.

I have funded your clinic.

Donated medicine, water.

I want to help these people any way I can
while their homes still stand.

But Sagar Wada will be sold.

- This is bullshit.
- This is Bombay.

Why didn't you tell me before?

Because you may not have accepted
the water.

So now they're in a war.

- Will they fight?
- I don't fucking know.

I'm done being the middleman, Khaderbhai.

You want something from them,
you ask them yourself.

Very well.

Hey.

Hey yourself.

It's good to see you.

You too.

See, that's the thing.
No one really knows him.

Maybe because he never speaks.

He was the youngest of nine
and he grew up dirt poor,

so no one ever really paid him
any attention, and that's how he got by.

But when it's just the two of us,
he's different.

He's funny, you know?

And sweet.

And he just wants me to be happy.

But he's so weak.

I know it doesn't seem like it,
but I did what you said

and I took fucking responsibility
for myself and for him.

And, yeah, I had to fuck
this Raheem guy, but so what?

'Cause this morning,
when Modena walked in with the money,

for the first time I felt…

empowered, maybe.

I probably sound crazy.

Well, if you came to me looking
for life advice, then yeah, you're crazy.

Whatever you decide to do…

there's always a place here for you.

But I think you should leave with Modena
while you can.

Just take whatever you've got
and get out of Bombay.

It's late.

You can go if you'd like. I have Mishra.

Or…

at least I think I did.

At least he took his shoes off, na?

So what are you going to show me
that'll change our situation, huh?

Machine guns that'll chase off
these goondas?

You don't listen, you don't learn,
yet you want to make all the decisions.

Nope. I'm done with that.

That's why you're here.

Assalamu alaikum.

Wa alaikumu assalam.

You honor me
with your presence, Qasimbhai.

We both know the opposite is true.

And that, I assume, was the point.

I arranged for Khader to come
so he could make his case to you directly.

Lin says you are a reasonable man.

Despite what he thinks,
Mr. Lin knows very little about me.

Or you, or anything much for that matter.

He knows that loyalty cannot be bought.
It must be earned.

A fact that I needed reminding of.

I've come to discuss a path forward.

And does your path forward
allow me to keep my home?

No.

Not in the end.

At least we're being truthful about it.

Please.

This morning, a man came to me with this.

He wanted me to give it to you.

This gold, it's not real, but...

But this ring has been in his family
for three generations.

It has history.

And that is not
something to be given up lightly.

"If you had known the virtue of the ring,
half her worthiness that gave the ring,"

or your own honor to contain the ring,

"you would not then have parted
with the ring."

I give the man a ring,
and he gives me a riddle.

Look, forgive me...

Thank you, Khaderbhai,

- for bringing up my lack of education.
- Qasim, no.

I meant no disrespect.

It is a quote from a play.

I see your ring as a similar test.

If I win the right to your land,

it will be years
before development begins.

I would like to help your community
in that time.

At the beginning, the construction site
will need electricity,

proper plumbing, and so on.

You will have the benefits of these
until we break ground.

I would also like to help find employment,
legitimate employment.

If you take our homes from us,

you must give us a chance
to grow beyond them.

We are of the same mind.

I have noticed some desks on my way here.

I will build you a school,
pay for teachers, books.

And after you break ground?

What becomes of us then?

I will help you find places to go,
inshallah.

Give me back the ring.

I will return it to the man
to give to his daughter.

And for her children,
and for all those who follow.

The person who wrote your play
is a wise man.

I believe that all of the questions
and most of the answers to life

are in Shakespeare.

Tell me, Qasim, what is your answer?

300,000 in there, huh?

Enough to go
wherever the fuck we like, huh?

I wanna take a piss.

We're gonna leave tonight
before Raheem gets suspicious.

I need to go get Lisa.

Lisa, Lisa, Lisa. Fuck Lisa.

She's not coming with us.

She served her purpose, okay?

And I'm not giving up
any of this money to a whore.

You have to choose, Modena.
The cash and me, or her.

And believe me, with this money,

we're gonna find easy pussy
anywhere we're gonna go.

You know, Lisa,
she's not so special, Modena.

You know, we gonna find you
one a night every night

in every city we're gonna visit.

What do you think, Modena?

Where do you wanna go?
Italia? Spain? South Am-merica…

If you want me to beg,
you will wait a long time.

I'm tired of begging.

Sorry about what I said earlier.

I shouldn't have made assumptions.

The world has no place for me.

My own mother sold me.

Men used me.

But Akash loves me.

You think it's easy for someone like him
to love someone like me?

If anyone found out about us,

he would lose his position,
his family, everything.

If he can't leave his job
or leave his family…

If they really are
more important than you,

then your love is not equal.

Men love differently to us.

It's a rare man
who doesn't love himself most in the end.

You're a whore from Kamathipura, Sunita.

He pretends he'll run off with you,
but he won't.

Not for you. Not for anyone.

When he turns his back on you,
where would you go?

Then you will realize that your life
without him was better anyway.

What do you want from him?

Only for him to do his job.

I mean Akash no ill will.

I promise.

You have my word
that if you make the call,

I will do him no harm.

Madame Zhou owns your debt now.

She's going to put you to work
soon enough.

Will Pandey want you then?

Make the call,
and if he comes to take you away,

then we will know he loves you as you say.

I don't think
you've ever loved anyone in your life.

Go to hell, motherfucking bhenchods!

You are wanting our water?
Take it from my dead fucking hands!

Linbaba!

Should I call you Johnny Dangerous?

Arun's Life. Enjoy.

- No, no. Not for me.
- I insist.

I could feel my heart breaking
as I watched them all enjoy their victory.

Whatever came next,
no one could take today from them.

I'd stayed because I owed them something.

But now the last thing
I wanted to do was leave.

Arre, Linbaba!

Catapult.

You're a bad shot.

Bad for me, anyway.

What did my brother Lin do
to deserve this?

He killed my mother.

And they say he didn't,
but I know it is true.

My mother is dead too.
We have this in common.

What did you do?

I found something new to belong to.

Abdel Khader Khan is a general.

And a general always needs warriors.

Someday I want a bike like yours.

One day, maybe.

But a warrior has to follow orders,
even when they don't like them.

Just tell me what to do.
I can do anything.

Lin is important to Khaderbhai.

He's a warrior too.

We will be upset
if anything happened to him.

- Do we understand each other?
- Yes.

A warrior needs his weapon.

Get some practice. For all our sakes.

Someone once asked me,

"If you could be really happy,"

but knew from the start
that it would end in sadness,

"would you choose that happiness
or would you avoid it?"

In that moment, I realized my answer.

I would choose the happiness.
No matter how much it hurt.

But I still had to run.