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Scam 2003 - The Telgi Story Review: Hansal Mehta Once Again Delivers A Gutsy Tale Of A Mastermind Scamster
Release Date: September 1, 2023, Sony LIV
Scam 2003 - The Telgi Story Review: Following the super success of Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story, released in 2020, filmmaker Hansal Mehta announced that he will be bringing another intriguing fraudulent story to his Scam series. Since then, excited fans have been eagerly waiting to see if a prolific director like Mehta would be able to execute Scam 2003 with the same intensity.
Directed by Tushar Hiranandani and produced by Applause Entertainment, Scam 2003: The Telgi Story is a biographical financial thriller that premiered on Sony LIV on Friday, September 1. It is based on one of India's biggest ever scams, involving a fraud worth Rs 30,000 crore. The stamp paper counterfeiting was committed by Abdul Karim Telgi, started in the 1990s, and came to light in 2003.
The series is adapted from a Hindi book titled Telgi Scam: Reporter's Ki Diary by Sanjay Singh. But does the show offer the same level of thrill and captivating narration as the previous season? Let's find out.
Plot
Money is the biggest driving force, and Scam 2003 shows yet another ambitious and motivated small town character who is ardent on achieving success to have an extravagant living.
Scam 2003 sets off with a voiceover of the lead actor, Gagan Dev Riar, who plays Abdul Karim Telgi, talking about 'dreams being more valuable than life, and if you don't fulfil them, life will remain barren.' The voiceover then introduces himself as Abdul Karim Telgi and says it is his life story-the story of his dreams.
It's 2003, and a narcotics test is being done on Telgi, where the doctor is seen asking him about the politicians involved with him in the scam.
Its 1982, where we see a young, smart, and educated Telgi selling fruits on a train, and he is invited by a man to Bombay with an offer to work. He leaves his small town in Karnataka and moves to the city of dreams in order to lead a good lifestyle. Soon he gets married and moves to the Gulf, where he worked for seven years.
Upon his return to India in 1991, Telgi began to create fake passports and documents for export labourers via his company. After being caught, he meets a man named Kaushal Zaveri, with whom he eventually moves on to make counterfeit stamp papers.
The series in the later episodes shows Telgi's quest to earn quick money, dishonest ploys to pull off the country's ingenious scam, and gradually getting caught.
Performance
Gagan Dev Riar aptly fits into the character of Abdul Karim Telgi. Be it his demeanour or ordinary looks, the actor perfectly captures the nuance of the distinct Hindi dialect spoken in the southern part of the nation while keeping a subtle tonality in his acting.
From his flawless dialogue delivery to seamless body language, Gagan Dev's refined performance will keep you hooked from the very first episode. While the other supporting cast members have also done a commendable job of actively holding the flow of the show.
Direction
Life mein neeche se upar chalang marni ho toh daring karna padega na darling.
Though the show has been directed by Tushar Hiranandani, Hansal Mehta, who dons the hat of a showrunner, proved that the above-mentioned lines immaculately describe his willingness to take risks with bold and gutsy content and craft another show that is enthralling and worthy of one's time.
The show seems to have all the elements required to make it an interesting watch. The narration and screenplay are held tightly to the point, generating an engaging story.
Dialogues are fun, quirky, yet simple, while the straightforward and modestly sketched characters are easy to absorb.
Final verdict
Mehta's credibility in infusing reality and life together in his work definitely calls for an engaging show. Its gripping storytelling, impressive performances, and strikingly fascinating account of Telgi's journey from rags to riches give a message that dishonest money dwindles away.
Note: The review has been done on the basis of limited episodes.
