The second instalment in the Scam franchise, Scam 2003 – The Telgi Story, is now streaming on Sony LIV. Based on Sanjay Singh’s book Telgi Scam: Ek Reporter Ki Diary, the series is directed by Tushar Hiranandani. Hansal Mehta’s Scam 1992 is one of the finest shows on Indian OTT platforms. So, the expectations were high for Scam 2003 – The Telgi Story too. Does the series live up to those expectations? Read our review to find out.

An ingenious crime portrayed quite unimaginatively

The Telgi scam paper scandal rocked the nation back in 2003. Scam 2003 – The Telgi Story chronicles the same. It centres around Abdul Karim Telgi, a fruit seller from Khanapur in Karnataka who came to Bombay and became the mastermind behind one of the biggest scams in the country. Telgi was a simple man, but his ambitions were huge, and he was willing to do anything to reach the top. As he claims in the series, “mujhe paise kamaane nahi hai, banane hain.”

As flamboyant as Harshad Chopra and Scam 1992 were, Scam 2003 is just as simple. Abdul Karim Telgi is a simple man whom many people might be able to relate with. His story is a classic rags-to-riches. From selling fruits on a train to masterminding one of the biggest scams in the country, Abdul Karim Telgi changes his life around.

Unfortunately, the presentation of his story is dull, to say the least. Telgi is not a man who would flaunt his wealth because he knows what the consequences of that will be. He keeps his head down and doesn’t show off all the money he makes to keep his business thriving. With way too many government officials, from cops to politicians, in his pocket, he runs a steady business. What starts as stealing and selling four to five stamp papers to lawyers turns into a million-dollar business. He has his challenges and faces betrayals, but despite that, you are not invested in the story.

The complexity of Telgi is watered down

Telgi is a complex character, but he is simplified too much in the series. We don’t know why he is disillusioned with the economy, what drives him to a life of con, or his experiences in the Gulf – these are all things left to the audience’s imagination. He is a shrewd businessman, but his genius is never explained. He spews plan after plan to his co-conspirators, but we are not privy to how he has all this information. From who is the top dog in a system to how the stamp papers are transported, he knows everything, while others around him don’t. But where does he get his information from? We will likely never know. We never know anything about Telgi that would have us rooting for or admonishing him. Yes, he is counterfeiting stamp papers, he bribes a lot of people, and what he is doing is morally wrong, but despite all of that, we are neither rooting for him nor itching to see him get punished.

Gagan Dev Riar does a fabulous job as the titular character and is the highlight of the series. But even his solid performance doesn’t lend any solidity to the weak storyline.

Divided into two parts, the first five episodes of Scam 2003 – The Telgi Story are now available to watch on Sony LIV.

Can you watch Scam 2003 – The Telgi Story with your family?: Unless you have a family member with an affinity for the world of crime, you can watch it with the fam.

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