Scam 2003 - The Telgi Story

We can all agree that it is hard to top something like Scam 1992, but this show unfortunately does not meet those standards.

Don't get me wrong, I was quite entertained throughout and was keen to watch the next episode by the end of each one, but there was a different feeling when watching 1992.

The show starts well, with a story that is quite simple to follow, not very technically, but it becomes just political by some point.

1992 was able to balance the scam, politics, and media well together, but this felt off, and the filmy dialogues in this series just remind you of Bhushan Bhatt, tbh.

I don't feel like we see the lavish aspect of the main character when he gets success, unlike Harshad, who got a very expensive high-rise. Nor do I feel the downfall; it just feels meh.

The timeline is kind of all over the place, jumping years just like that didn't really work.

The characters get you thinking who is who, and I'm not convinced by their relationships, unlike 1992, where we can see actual chemistry.

But we can agree that they don't really show much about the scam; they just focus on politics, which isn't that interesting at some point.

See, it was entertaining to watch the show, no doubt, but it doesn't stick with you. Rewatchability is low, unlike 1992, where there isn't much memorable in terms of dialogues.

The environemnt, doesnt really do justice - i forget where i am in the show in terms of location because they dont really give time to showcase the scenery or landmarks.

Sure the scam amount is very large but it doesnt feel "big" enough. 500 cores feels much bigger than it is.

For those who watched 1992, I still recommend you watch this, but you won't get the same satisfaction.

Scam 2003: The Telgi Story review :

After the outstanding Scam 1992 which dealt with Harshad Mehta's securities scam, Hansal Mehta and team brings a spiritual sequel narrating the journey of Abdul Karim Telgi, who was the mastermind of the infinitely bigger stamp paper scam.

Gagan Dev as Telgi is a showstopper, as much as Pratik Gandhi was as Harshad Mehta in Scam 1992. The basic motive is greed...which the fictitious Gordon Gecko famously claimed in Wallstreet (1987) as for the want of a better word, is good!! Good it is atleast initially as we witness Telgi growing from a fruit seller in a small town to a fake stamp paper baron after oiling the corrupt system - from cops and bureaucrats to politicians!!

The infamous Tarannum incident where Telgi blew away close to a crore rupees one night on a bar girl, is the highlight of the five episodes series where we see the character boosting his ego at that insane cost!! The series ends there with a promise of a second volume coming in November to take the story forward. Scam 2003 is a definite one time watch which will whet your apetite for the next to follow...

Regards, Sumeet Nadkarni.

The Telgi Story is a gripping, suspenseful, and eye-opening drama that tells the true story of Abdul Karim Telgi, the mastermind behind India's biggest counterfeiting scam. The series is well-made and well-acted, with Gagan Dev Riar giving a star-making turn as Telgi.

The series begins with Telgi's humble beginnings as a small-time salesman. He is a hustler and a dreamer, and he sees an opportunity to make a fortune by counterfeiting stamp paper. He sets up a complex operation and begins to print millions of rupees worth of fake stamps.

At first, Telgi's scam goes undetected. But as he gets more and more ambitious, he starts to attract attention from the authorities. The series follows the cat-and-mouse game between Telgi and the police, as they try to outwit each other.

Scam 2003 is a fascinating and cautionary tale about the dangers of greed and corruption. It is also a reminder that even the most elaborate scams can eventually be brought down.

Scam 2003 the telgi story is a biography crime drama series directed by tushar hiranandani.

In one word, its definitely good. Yes, it cannot match the heights reached by scam 1992. Gagandev riar gives an outstanding performance as 'abdul karim telgi', so do the other actors. But the charactererisations of characters other than telgi are not strong enough to make you feel anything substantial. There are also many screenplay loopholes and staging problems in the second half. The downfall is not as interesting as the rise. The series makes quite a lot of criticisms on governments and political power and those feel relevant till date.

I don't think the story can be compared to S1 as both took place in different timelines. I agree with most of the reviews that Hansal Mehta should have directed this one. The first part was average and the story gains momentum in the second half. Splitting the episodes and releasing it with months gap was a bad decision. Why cant you makers release all the episodes at once? The second half is really good. The last episode seems fictitious. How did the politicians escape such an obvious scam? Only Telgi and his family members names are real, all the politicians and actors names used in this serial are fictitious. Why!!!! When you want to show true crime, please stick to that.