Lin Ford describes himself as a poet, a smuggler, an escaped felon, a revolutionary, and a philosopher who lost his way. His ideas about freedom were refined during torture in prison. He chose between forgiving or hating the men who were hurting him. Lin—who will also go by Shantaram—has mafia ties and was imprisoned on three continents.

The novel begins on Lin’s first day in Mumbai. The heat is oppressive, and Lin thinks Mumbai smells like hope. He is using a false New Zealand passport. He arrives two years after escaping from an Australian prison.

A small man with webbed hands points out that Lin forgot his guitar. He welcomes Lin and refuses his money. As Lin takes a bus, he sees many slums: There are 5,000 new survivors arriving each week, fleeing poverty and violence. He feels guilty about his relative health and affluence. Later, he remembers that nothing has ever hurt him like the sight of the slums. He always wonders why the government allows such suffering. Nevertheless, people are always smiling and laughing.

A Canadian man on the bus says Lin will be safer with his party because there are many ways to get robbed and exploited.