When Scam 1992 began streaming on SonyLiv in 2020, the OTT space in India was just about getting firmed up. And the web series on the sensational saga of the 'Big Bull' Harshad Mehta, who had a charmed run in the stock market boom of the 90s, had a middling start. But the word of mouth quickly spread, and soon enough the series became a raging hit.
In the two years since then, the Indian OTT space has evolved and many interesting offerings have come out. But Scam 1992 remains among the best offerings ever. Pratik Gandhi who played Harshad Mehta is now a star in his own right. Hansal Mehta, who helmed the series, is also a top name.
Such a series was always going to a get sequel. And early this year, the producer of the series, Sameer Nair announced Scam 2003: The Telgi Story.
Scam 2003: All details
Scam 2003 will revolve around the life of Abdul Karim Telgi, the infamous man behind the 2003 Stamp Paper Scam. The scandal was spread across multiple states and several bureaucrats and government employees were implicated in it along with the mastermind counterfeiter Telgi. The web series will explore his life from his childhood and an unremarkable fruit-seller to being the mastermind of a notorious scandal that was worth Rs 20,000 crore. Telgi made counterfeit stamp paper, and allegedly appointed several people as agents who sold the fakes to bulk purchasers, including banks, insurance companies, and stock brokerage firms.
Gagan Dev Riar is playing the role of Abdul Karim Telgi. He was earlier seen in Sonchiriya and A Suitable Boy, where his character was critically praised.
The Telgi Story, being helmed by show runner Hansal Mehta and director Tushar Hiranandani, is based on news reporter Sanjay Singh’s book Reporter Ki Diary. Kiran Yadnyopavit, a popular writer of Marathi films has been roped in to write and develop the story along with author Sanjay Singh.
Scam 2003 is expected to stream on SonyLiv from early next year. The producer Sameer Nair has been quoted as saying that 60% of the series has already been shot. Talking about the learnings from the first season, the producer said, previous experience taught them the importance of focusing on attention to detail and factual accuracy in bringing to life a human story of this scale.
Drawing parallels between OTT and television in the 1990s, he said: “The OTT is currently at the same stage where television in India was back in the early 1990s. There’s a lot of competition and a lot of new people coming, the OTT industry is currently on a boom. The audience is taking time to settle down.”
