Director: Tushar Hiranandani
Cast: Gagan Dev Riar, Mukesh Tiwari, Dinesh Lal Yadav, Sana Amin Sheikh, Bhavna Balsaver, Vidyadhar Joshi, Kiran Karmarkar, Bharat Dhabolkar
Where: Streaming now on Sony LIV
Rating: 3.5 stars
When I reviewed Volume 1 of Scam 2003: The Telgi Story as ‘mildly underwhelming’, it came from a place where I was left wanting for more. While I completely understand and respect the creators’ choice to have released the show in two parts, I can only tell that having watched the remaining five episodes of the series unfold before me in volume 2, I’ve been left flabbergasted. Volume 2 ties up the loose ends left untied by its predecessor and for the better good. This Sony LIV drama gives us a new hero worth rooting for. Gagan Dev Riar as Abdul Karim Telgi has arrived and is here to stay.
Having erred during a crucial episode with displaying his filthy wealth in all his glory, Telgi has to make quick amends with his business associates and keep his enemies closer. Within that premise, he continues with his misdemeanors till top politicians and the police come closing in on him. Will he take the fall or will he survive the ordeal is what Volume 2 unearths.
The biggest achievement that Gagan can cherish for as long as he lives is how he has completely gotten into the skin of Telgi, from aping his mannerisms to mastering the smirk. Casting director Mukesh Chhabra wields magic yet again as the show benefits further from the introduction of two very sincere but spirited cops in Suryapratap Gehlot (Mukesh Tiwari) and Pramod Jaisingh (Dinesh Lal Yadav). Both cops are pulled into a muddling pot of political and bureaucratic conflicts as Telgi becomes fish bait for key stakeholders.
While much of the script written by Kiran Yadnyopavit, Kedar Patankar and Karan Vyas meandered in the first volume, the second edition also sees a lot of inspiration taken from how Scam 1992 was presented. Based on Sanjay Singh’s fictional account Telgi Scam: Reporter Ki Diary, the dialogues in volume 2 are less dramatized in comparison to its previous edition. It’s hard to look away from the inconsistencies too. While portraying two different cities, which are aesthetically and culturally different from one another, somehow, they both seem alike on the show, because the cinematography by Stanley Mudda is designed likewise.
But redemption solely rests on the firm shoulders of the show’s leading man. Gagan walks the tightrope act in getting us to understand Telgi’s motives, but never once does his performance allow us to absolve the subject of his misdeeds. From delivering witty one-liners to having his moments of frustration and solitude during prison time, Gagan is outstanding.
Directed by Tushar Hiranandani, you can view all episodes of Scam 2003: The Telgi Story on SonyLIV.
