'Scam 2003' review: Gagan Dev Riar owns Volume II, too
The second volume of Scam 2003: The Telgi Story is now available on Sony LIV. Starring Gagan Dev Riar as Abdul Karim Telgi, the series is about the Rs. 30,000cr stamp paper scam that rocked the nation. While Volume I showed how he counterfeited the stamp papers, Volume II shows the scam bust. But what remains the same are brilliant performances, narration, and direction.
Second part unravels the scam and those involved in it
In the first part of the series, director Tushar Hiranandani showed how Telgi turns from a fruit vendor to a millionaire scamster. But the new and the final volume shows his downfall and how the scam was busted. The series continues to juggle between Karnataka and Maharashtra where Telgi's scam unfolds after two relentless cops decide to go after him and his accomplices.
Riar continues to shine in his performance
Without a doubt, Riar is the star performer here. He has rightly picked the nuances of Telgi. How well he imbibed Telgi's character can be seen in the last episode where real interview footage of Telgi is shown. Just as he ages in the series, his performance also gets better. Riar convincingly showed the frustrated and arrogant side of his character as well.
New additions to the cast fit right in the puzzle
Created by Hansal Mehta, Scam 2003 introduces new characters and actors in the second part. Among these are Mukesh Tiwari as the Karnataka SIT chief, Bhojpuri star Dinesh Lal Yadav as Maharashtra SIT chief, Aman Yatan Verma as Commissioner of Police, and many others. Yadav and Verma delivered decent performances but Tiwari has an edge over these two as Surya Pratap Gehlot.
Dialogue writing is the strength of the series
There aren't catchphrases like "Risk hai toh ishq hai," in Volume II but the dialogue writing is still one of the strongest factors. The writers established Telgi's mammoth wealth with just one line. In a sequence where Telgi's help is needed to rescue a Kannada superstar in exchange for money, a character says, "RBI ke baad itna paisa Telgi ke pass hi hai."
A worthy addition to the 'Scam' franchise
Has Mehta been successful in creating another successful Scam? Yes! Scam 2003 is a worthy addition to the franchise. Even if it has its own set of flaws and falters on a few occasions, the show successfully narrates one of India's biggest scams. If you love Indian crime dramas, this is your show to watch. Verdict: 3.5 stars out of 5.
