Lindsay is a convict accused of a bank robbery, who has fled from Pentridge Prison in Australia and taken refuge in Bombay. A drug addict and a criminal, Lindsay recreates his life with a false identity in the city that never sleeps. Upon arriving in Bombay, Lindsay befriends Prabaker who takes up the task of making the new visitor a part of his city. On a visit to Prabaker's Maharashtrian village, Lindsay is rechristened by the former's mother and thus, the title of this epic story: 'Shantaram'. As fate would have it, the duo is robbed in Mumbai and Shantaram is forced to dwell in the slums. Then, starts a vivid narration of the protagonist's experiences in the extensive slums of the old city of Bombay. Lindsay encounters firestorms, illness outbreaks and family bickerings every day in his new surroundings. A clash with the under-world force Khader Khan involves him in the dark and gruesome world of the mafia. When Shantaram is sheltered from the police and authorities in the shanties, he starts a health care center, assisting the poor and deprived, and offering care to the abandoned lepers. From experiencing the under-developed ongoing of the slum areas of India to marvelling at the Bollywood stars and celebrities, Shantaram absorbs all that the city has to offer. 'Shantaram', widely applauded for its explicit style of writing, is a story of the life of a criminal on-the-run, and how he seeks refuge in an alien city that is always bustling with people and activity. It is a story of transformation and unveiling. Shantaram represents every new entrant in the city who is on a journey to discover himself in the maddening crowd of Bombay.
