| Aspect | Details | |--------|---------| | Title | Scam 2003: The Telgi Story | | Release Year | 2023 (Premiered Sept 2, 2023) | | Platform | Sony LIV | | Director | Tushar Hiranandani (ep. 1-4), Hansal Mehta (ep. 5-8, also showrunner) | | Producer | Applause Entertainment in association with StudioNEXT | | Lead Actor | Gagan Dev Riar (as Abdul Karim Telgi) | | Episodes | 10 (approx. 40–50 mins each) | | Language | Hindi (with regional accents: Marathi, Kannada, Urdu) |
The series begins in the 1980s, showing Telgi’s humble beginnings as a fruit seller in Saudi Arabia. Driven by ambition and frustrated by honest poverty, he discovers the power of forgery. The narrative picks up speed in the 1990s as Telgi returns to India and befriends small-time printers and corrupt clerks. Scam 2003 The Telgi Story -2023- Web Series
The "Eureka moment" of the series occurs when Telgi realizes that the government does not have a centralized system to track stamp papers. He exploits this gap by purchasing a single printing press. The 2023 web series does not glorify his actions; rather, it highlights the terrifying ease with which he executes the crime. Within four episodes, we see Telgi transform from a struggling migrant to a kingpin riding luxury cars, bribing police commissioners, and living in five-star hotels while the Indian exchequer bleeds dry. | Aspect | Details | |--------|---------| | Title
While Scam 1992 was directed by Hansal Mehta, Scam 2003 is handled by a team led by Mehta (who is the showrunner) along with directors Tushar Hiranandani and Jai Mehta. The visual language shifts dramatically. This suits the subject matter
This suits the subject matter. This is not a scam of the boardroom; it is a scam of the printing press. The writing is tight, focusing heavily on the process of corruption. How do you bribe a cop? How do you make a printer agree to cut corners? The series takes its time explaining the technicalities of offset printing, paper gumming, and serial number generation. For finance and crime nerds, this validation is thrilling.
The series is based on true events that shook India in the early 2000s.