I was really looking forward to watching this TV series, especially after having read the book 2 times while I was living in India for many years.
The book was always going to be a challenge for a 2 to 3 hour feature film, and whether it was Johnny Depp or Peter Weir or Mira Nair or even Joel Edgerton, the idea of turning it into a 12 episode TV series made more sense so they could dig deeper into each character and the plots and intricacies of a 900 page epic masterpiece.
Unfortunately, after watching 10 episodes, I have to conclude like many reviews on here that without involving the writer of the book, it seems like the TV series writers have converted this masterpiece into more of a soap opera/thriller than the magic of the wonderful book. Esp with $100m budget.
For those people who've never read the book I can't imagine this TV series being very entertaining, and it comes across as very shallow storyline with a hint of the actual deeper meaning of the journey that Lin goes on in the book that is so intricate and complex yet flows so delightfully that it's hard to compare this rubbish tv series that only captures a tiny glimpse of the book.
As far as the casting, I actually enjoyed seeing Charlie Hunan as Lin and Karla is cast perfectly fine and handles her flirtatious role adequately and one feels the mutual attraction between the two main characters. . And even Didier, the gay French man handles his role quite well except there is little meat in his role except in later episodes - and Prabu the Indian friend is one of the more animated actors to give some good contrast to the Indian characters.
However, the biggest issue I have is that the writers have taken such liberty of wasting too much time meandering back/forth with the back plot of Lin's life back in Australia , instead of focusing on deeper meaning behind each character residing in India.
For example, the Indian gangsters come across as pseudo-intellectuals, rather than in the book, which creates these magnificent personas that are beyond one's imagination and powerful beyond belief that you understand why Lin is enamored by them. Plus they do not even delve into Lin becoming a part of the Gangster world and the passport/arms/weapons sold to the Middle East connection and how it relates to the Bombay gangsters that are powerful beyond just Bombay. Instead this emaciated Gangster looks like anyone could knock him over with a single slap on the face.
The gangsters run around with one or two people and it feels like they are insignificant people that anyone could probably kill and even the henchmen Persian assassin guy is supposed to have these amazing fighting powers and instead he looks like some common street thug that anyone could beat up - and Lin has to come to his rescue. That spoils the character main trait which is beyond comprehension.
The biggest complaint I have is that the whole entire series is way too focused on Lin character and the supporting characters just don't hold up enough to carry this soap opera plot that fizzles out with meaningless sub plots over emphasizing the slums and bribes - and the idea of redemption is so over emphasized over multiple episodes that it just gets dull and boring - almost tedious to the point that it drains any magic that was so bloody obvious in the book.
There are only 2 episodes remaining yet I seriously doubt that the writers can pull off bringing any magic back to this lack luster of a tv series. Watch it with low expectations and perhaps you'll enjoy it more.
I give it only a 6 star rating and hope that a 3 hour feature film is created to do the book justice - esp since the DGR Writer wrote an original script and Roth and other writers added more - so maybe there is hope for a film down the road as it deserves a proper adaptation.
The book was always going to be a challenge for a 2 to 3 hour feature film, and whether it was Johnny Depp or Peter Weir or Mira Nair or even Joel Edgerton, the idea of turning it into a 12 episode TV series made more sense so they could dig deeper into each character and the plots and intricacies of a 900 page epic masterpiece.
Unfortunately, after watching 10 episodes, I have to conclude like many reviews on here that without involving the writer of the book, it seems like the TV series writers have converted this masterpiece into more of a soap opera/thriller than the magic of the wonderful book. Esp with $100m budget.
For those people who've never read the book I can't imagine this TV series being very entertaining, and it comes across as very shallow storyline with a hint of the actual deeper meaning of the journey that Lin goes on in the book that is so intricate and complex yet flows so delightfully that it's hard to compare this rubbish tv series that only captures a tiny glimpse of the book.
As far as the casting, I actually enjoyed seeing Charlie Hunan as Lin and Karla is cast perfectly fine and handles her flirtatious role adequately and one feels the mutual attraction between the two main characters. . And even Didier, the gay French man handles his role quite well except there is little meat in his role except in later episodes - and Prabu the Indian friend is one of the more animated actors to give some good contrast to the Indian characters.
However, the biggest issue I have is that the writers have taken such liberty of wasting too much time meandering back/forth with the back plot of Lin's life back in Australia , instead of focusing on deeper meaning behind each character residing in India.
For example, the Indian gangsters come across as pseudo-intellectuals, rather than in the book, which creates these magnificent personas that are beyond one's imagination and powerful beyond belief that you understand why Lin is enamored by them. Plus they do not even delve into Lin becoming a part of the Gangster world and the passport/arms/weapons sold to the Middle East connection and how it relates to the Bombay gangsters that are powerful beyond just Bombay. Instead this emaciated Gangster looks like anyone could knock him over with a single slap on the face.
The gangsters run around with one or two people and it feels like they are insignificant people that anyone could probably kill and even the henchmen Persian assassin guy is supposed to have these amazing fighting powers and instead he looks like some common street thug that anyone could beat up - and Lin has to come to his rescue. That spoils the character main trait which is beyond comprehension.
The biggest complaint I have is that the whole entire series is way too focused on Lin character and the supporting characters just don't hold up enough to carry this soap opera plot that fizzles out with meaningless sub plots over emphasizing the slums and bribes - and the idea of redemption is so over emphasized over multiple episodes that it just gets dull and boring - almost tedious to the point that it drains any magic that was so bloody obvious in the book.
There are only 2 episodes remaining yet I seriously doubt that the writers can pull off bringing any magic back to this lack luster of a tv series. Watch it with low expectations and perhaps you'll enjoy it more.
I give it only a 6 star rating and hope that a 3 hour feature film is created to do the book justice - esp since the DGR Writer wrote an original script and Roth and other writers added more - so maybe there is hope for a film down the road as it deserves a proper adaptation.