Shantaram – Season 1 Episode 6 ” Dead Man Walking” Recap & Review

Dead Man Walking

In the opening sequence of Shantaram episode 6, we see the backstory of why Lin ran away from the prison. The detective questioning him gave him one last chance to come clean about Officer Flores’ murder but Lin declines the opportunity.

Instead, the detective asks a prisoner to bring in beers for him and Lin, making him believe that Lin is a rat. If he would have stayed, Lin would have been dead before the day ended.

Lin takes Prabhu to Reynaldo’s to meet with Kavita. He apologizes for his behavior the last time and tries to come up with an explanation for why he does not want Kavita to cover him in the paper. Prabhu too plays his part and says it is because of Sagarwada’s people that Lin does not want to glorify his work. “This city strikes at the poor, not the poverty”, Kavita wisely says but keeps up the appearance of believing them. It is a ploy by Kavita to keep Lin in Mumbai until she investigates further. Lin gets his photos clicked and expresses his intention to leave Bombay.

Prabhu tries to persuade Lin but he says he cannot risk it. Sebastian tells Lisa that Maurizio gets all his heroin from Zhou. Khaderbhai does not know about it yet and when he does, they all will be in danger. Abdullah tracks down Gaurav, Minster Pandey’s driver, and forces him to reveal Pandey’s schedule. He does so on Khader’s instructions of finding dirt on Pandey to blackmail him. Prabhu is talked to by Nandita about bringing back Parvati to the house. She is spending the entire time in the clinic and they want her back. Despite the promise that they will give their blessings for marriage if Prabhu brings her back, he declines. Parvati admires his support and expresses her intention to marry him regardless.

Karla is told by Lisa about Zhou and she promises to look out for her. Raheem, the one Maurizio is dealing with, asks to sleep with Lisa before signing off on the deal. Reluctantly, Maurizio and Sebastian agree. Lin asks Diedre to make a passport for him but does not reveal it to Karla. He agrees to meet her the next day for lunch after she gets upset. Later that night, Diedre is arrested and brutally assaulted by the police for engaging in homosexual acts, something that was a crime back then. Lin does not know this and once again goes for the tourist business with Prabhu to pay for the passport. He gets a call from Diedre at Reynaldo’s and he takes Vikram with him to get him back.

To pay for the hefty bribe, Lin and Vikram take money from Diedre’s place. After much ridicule, they are able to get Diedre’s custody but not before a constable sees Lin in the station and remembers Lin kicking him in episode 2 in an earlier scuffle. Lin is forced to give payment from his own pocket he got after selling the bike but is safe for now. It is revealed that Abdullah and Karla were lovers before and she did care for him.

That was when she was not indulged in crime and stayed away from such things. She tells about Maurizio and Zhou but asks Abdullah not to reveal it to Khader. That night, Lin nurses Diedre, who promises to make the passport in a couple of days, without the payment as a gesture for his help.

When Lisa learns of Raheem’s request and Maurizio and Sebastian’s acquiescence, she is upset with the latter but agrees after demanding 10% of the profits. Prabhu and Parvati go to a cinema hall and they enjoy the picture. But in between, Parvati falls down unconscious and Prabhu brings her back to Sagarwada. Lin is with Diedre and not there, giving Prabhu anxiety. It is also revealed that Nishant has somehow got the Interpol and CBI involved in the case, hinting at rough times ahead for Lin.

The Episode Review

Episode 6 solidifies the notion that nice guys always finish last. Despite Lin’s selfless, good work, he is being punished by his Karma for not bringing the murderer of Officer Flores, Charlie, to justice. Things keep going against him in Bombay. The new threat that looms over his head is a big one. He is marginally close to getting caught. Kavita is determined to get her big break and Nishant is helping him too.

Lisa’s handling by Modena was a setback indeed. For a while, he deceived himself into thinking that he was anything other than just a pimp. But he had to give in to Maurizio and allow the woman he loves to sleep with another man. Shocks like these keep Shantaram interesting, howsoever scattered the narrative might seem on the surface.