Scam 2003 The Telgi Story Review: Gagan Dev Riar's gripping performance rises above a patchy plot

The follow-up to the runaway hit Scam 1992, Gagan Dev Riar starrer Scam 2003: The Telgi Story is spiritually tied to its prequel. The anthology series traces the lives of underdogs who climb their way up the rung, albeit with questionable choices. It pushes the viewers to think about what's morally acceptable and what's not and therein lies its essence. The new part consists of five episodes, with Vol 2 coming out sometime before the end of the year. With a legacy to live up to, does Scam 2003 deliver? Will the strategy to release it in two parts work? Let's find out.

3 things you need to know

• Scam web series is inspired by real-life incidents and persons.
• There is a heavy dialogue play in Scam 2003, which gives it a Bollywood-like feel.
• The show is based on Telgi: Ek Reporter Ki Diary by Sanjay Singh.

Hot Take

The makers of Scam 2003 find an affable character to get into the mind of -- Abdul Karim Telgi, who orchestrated the Rs 30,000 crore stamp paper scam in the 2000s. Gagan Dev Riar, who plays Telgi, has a huge task at hand. The show presents a character that most of us will not be aware of. His rendition of Telgi will be what people come to accept the latter as. That's the tricky part of presenting a real-life story - balancing the real with the dramatic. Director Tushar Hiranandani has managed to bring to life a likeable version of an otherwise morally dubious character. Much like Harshad Mehta's fraud in Scam 1992, the new show paints the corrupt system as the villain, which Telgi is a small part of.

The show appears to be patchy in the first two build-up episodes but bounces back thereafter. There is a method to the madness that Telgi and those around him are planning, but it takes time to hit home. While it may appear early on that Scam 2003 may turn out to be underwhelming due to its sluggish pace, the latter half takes a turn for the good. It's poignant and powerful with the message 'never give up' ringing loud.

Is Scam 2003 worth the hype?

Set in the 90s, The Telgi Story begins in Khanapur, a small village in Karnataka. It traces his journey to becoming one of the most powerful men in Mumbai, around whom the lives of police and politicians come to revolve. How he remains steadfast in his sole aim to earn more and more money is shown in the 5-part Vol 1.

Gagan Dev Riar is impressive

Scam 2003 relies on Gagan as Telgi to step up, and he delivers. When Telgi is demur and vulnerable, it is reflected in the actor's body language. Even though the character is big on dialoguebaazi, in the moments where it matters, Gagan remains restrained. This allows us to connect with Telgi, the man. As the story progresses and Telgi takes control of his business and life, it begins to reflect how Gagan stands and speaks, all with an air of confidence. Telgi's behaviour gets violent and his language becomes harsh in the second half. The changes are subtle and make the impact much more powerful.

(Gagan Dev Riar in a still from Scam 2003: The Telgi Story | Image: IMDB)

A bar scene sums this up in an effective manner. Telgi gets into a power battle with another rich businessman and he ends up humiliating him. The sequence plays out with a haunting background score, highlighting the height of insanity that is driving Telgi's life. He shouts 'aukaat' and just like that, the character has had a 180-degree turnaround.

Gagan is impressive in every scene and makes Telgi his own. He is as good as Pratik Gandhi in Scam 1992, if not more.

The show finds its voice, albeit a little late

Scam 2003 follows in the same vein as its predecessor. Washed-out images transport us back to the 90s. Director Tushar Hiranandani wastes no time in parachuting the viewers into the middle of Telgi's turmoil-struck life. When we meet him, he is a fruit seller on a train, always fixing his broken slippers, and a hint of dirt on his clothes and face, further stressing his poverty and the longing desire to be rich.

By the end of Vol 1, he lavishes Rs 90 lakh in a matter of minutes just to massage his ego. The turn is drastic but the story builds up to it, beat by beat. Tushar manages to show us the various facets of Telgi but two qualities remain consistent- his will to bounce back against all odds and his easy-going nature. This helps us root for Telgi even as he ventures deep into the depths of greed. Like Harshad Mehta, Telgi becomes the unlikely hero, to the point that we overlook his criminal activities and want to see him succeed. The first-person narrative aids this approach. The tale unfolds from the PoV of Telgi while everything around him blurs.

Lack of supporting characters

Was Telgi the main hero of his story? Did he not have any reliable partners or did he keep everyone else at a distance? These questions may cross one's mind as they watch the show. Those around Telgi come and go but his relationship with his business stays consistent. Thus, there are no standout supporting roles in the show. Those who are present do a convincing job of it. Telgi, more than individuals, battles his circumstances and comes to terms with his own shortcomings. That's his story and there are no other strings attached.

Stream it or skip it?

Fans of Scam 1992 would not want to miss out on Scam 2003. It could be more than a worthy follow-up, but that verdict can be reserved for when the whole series is out. The new show gets most part of the storytelling right, although the heavy dialogue play may seem forced at emotionally heavy points in the story. With the cloud of loneliness looming over the lead character, his doubt and feelings of failure become ours. So does his success.

Bottomline

Like 'risk hai to ishq hai' in Scam 1992, 'daring toh karna padega na darling' is Scam 2003 catchphrase. The meteoric ascent of Telgi may almost slip by unnoticed and that's where the show succeeds. You will not expect when it all happened, only to look back in retrospect and piece it all together.

Stars: 3.5/5