Scam 2003: The Telgi Story – Volume II review: Gagan Dev Riar shines bright in the show presented by Hansal Mehta

4/5

Story:

Abdul Karim Telgi’s stamp paper scam gets unfurled. Telgi has been making money since a while now but can he keep up?

Review:

Abdul Karim Telgi’s story had already unfurled a while back and now, with the second volume, you get to learn about the man behind the scam. This is the man who did not even recognize himself after becoming so powerful. That is the man you learn about through the series.

As the second volume of Scam 2003 commences, you start wondering if it is the same series. The scene appears out-of-the-blue but you soon realize why it is important – since it goes on to talk about the power of Abdul Karim Telgi.

Abdul has now plotted his revenge on all of those involved with the scam, but in hidden. Gagan Dev Riar is back as his powerful character this time too.

How his scam is finally unfurled, makes up for the second volume. Even though the story goes at a slower pace than expected, it works.

Abdul's journey to Karim Lala is also a part of the series. It is only touched upon but does create an impact in a sense.

This season is more about emotions than dialogues. Gagan tries to but isn’t able to perfect that this time around. When the emotions end and anger takes over, this actor is unmatched. That happens as the series progresses in this volume.

His scene in prison with the two cops is one of the best scenes of this volume. Gagan shines in the scene as a powerful yet helpless man. This is closely followed by the scene of Abdul Karim Telgi dancing right after his release from Mumbai prison. It shows you a greedy man who is the happiest among all, at least on the surface. Gagan also nails the scene where he finally sings a song during a crucial moment on the show.

The cinematography, on the other hand, really works. There is not a moment that isn’t beautifully captured by the cameras. Add some locations to that and the show has a beautiful vibe to it.

Since it is a sad track, the music plays a huge role in the series. The symphony works really well and fits in with the scenes. None of it seems out of place.

Shashank Ketkar as Jayant Karmarkar aka JK is a delight to watch even this time around. Even in briefer roles, he shines bright.

Shaad Randhawa as Sheikh has a constant graph on the show. He plays an important part this time around.

Sana Amin Sheikh nails it as Nafisa this time around. From her angry scenes to romantic ones, she is a delight to watch from the first frame to last.

Kirandeep Kaur as bar dancer Parveen has more appearance than the last volume. In the one scene that she has, the actress kills it with her presence.

Nikhil Ratnaparkhi as Advocate Ganesh Kamble is constant from his role in the previous season. He is, however, among the smaller fishes on the show.

Mukesh Tiwari as Suryapratap Gehlot shines this time around. He has a major role to play and nails it with each scene.

Kiran Karmakar appears in the fierce role of More. He shakes all notions down with his character.

Bhavana Balsavar as Garima Talpade and Parag Tyagi walk hand-in-hand when it comes to their screen time but they have almost nothing to offer this time.

Aman Verma as CP Jagdish Suri is seen in a brief role. He is his usual self and has nothing special to offer with this show.

Pankaj Berry in the role of Purshottam Pant is hilarious as always. Deepak Qazir as Ashok Valve compliments him.

Dinesh Lal Yadav as Pramod Jaisingh appears much later in the series. His entry is with a Bhojpuri song, thus make it all but an environment for his entry on the show.

Iravati Harshe as DCP Harani leaves a lasting impression. She is unabashed in her role and that’s what makes her so impressive in the character.

Nandu Madhav as Inspector Madhukar Dombe from the last volume is out of his game this time. Dinesh Lal Yadav replaces his position this time and is in full power.

The series explores Kannada with Hindi this time, thus retaining the essence of scenes set in Bangalore. This especially works in the political setup of the show.

The one dialogue that will catch you attention this time is – Apna bola hai toh apnapan dikha. Warna, khabar ho ya qabar ho, khodte apna hi hai.

The scenes with Mohd Yusuf Khan as Suleiman really leave an impact. They tend to play with your mind, through his silence and the visuals following that. The actor does a lot in this volume even in the least screen space.

Telgi's monologue at the end makes for something. The camera slowly panning to what he has to say as his own life comes to an end, is really beautiful. You are left wondering what is happening, much like Telgi's life. His journey from a fruit seller to a man living in regret really sums up in the last episode. The iconic whistle truly adds to it.

While Scam 1992 told you 'Ishq hai toh risk hai,' Scam 2003 is the exact opposite. Telgi says, "Ishq kiya, tabhi toh risk nahi liya," to justify his actions.

Verdict:

We would once again like to remind you that Scam 2003 is nothing like Scam 1992. In fact, it is the complete opposite in many senses, especially for the fact that Telgi is portrayed as a family man. This is often related to the one and only, Pablo Escobar from Narcos. He gave up owing to his family and that is repeated with Scam 2003.

After some episodes, Gagan Dev Riar makes the series worth it thanks to his performance in some powerful scenes. Even though Scam 2003 tends to get preachy, it never bores you to the extent that you switch to another show. In that sense, this one wins hands down.