'Scam 2003: The Telgi Story Vol 2' Review: Bigger, Bolder, Better

"If the show only gets better from here, there's still some wonder to behold," I'd written of the first part (or volume) of Scam 2003: The Telgi Story. Many wondered if the decision to split the show in two would pay off, considering how fickle audience attention can be. Scam 2003: The Telgi Story Vol. 2 is well worth the wait. 

If the first volume was about the meteoric rise of Abdul Karim Telgi (Gagan Dev Riar), the man behind the stamp paper scam that came out in 2003, the second volume is about his fall. Pride does, afterall, cometh before the fall.

One slip at a bar reveals Telgi's actual net worth to the network of 'protectors' he had built – corrupt lawyers, cops, and politicians all willing to look the other way as long as their palms were greased. Since the person at the center was bigger than they thought, their shares started to seem inadequate.

The show hints at a disheartening phenomenon – for power to be challenged, power must be involved.

The show directed by Tushar Hiranandani (the last episode is directed by showrunner Hansal Mehta) continues to expertly explore how insidious power can be and how a person's standing in society informs how they behave or what consequences they will face. As those in power start to attempt to save their own necks, Telgi finds himself increasingly isolated. Gagan Dev Riar is still in top form – Telgi has now gone from a lion to a wounded one, angrier and even more ostentatious but privately fighting personal battles. When it comes to human emotion, this volume is softer than its predecessor. That's both good and bad (though bad is a stronger word than I'd like to use for this show).

While Riar handles every subtlety of his character brilliantly, the dialogue writing filled with smart alecs feels more unnatural. He delivers the dialogues with the same finesse and swagger but the one-liners overpopulate the screenplay at times.

The pacing is still a little lethargic but if you stay with the volume till episode 7, it rapidly picks up.

Ishaan Chhabra, who also scored for the Academy Award-nominated Writing With Fire captures the show's essence, but even more importantly, captures Telgi. A man of Telgi's charm, cunning, and moral ambiguity deserves a stunning background score and Chhabra is the man for the job. 

Viewing Scam 2003: The Telgi Story as the single show that it is, the loose ends across the narrative are tied up well.

The entertainment factor that fluctuated in the first volume because of its repetitive quality enters the second volume as Telgi jumps from one judicial custody to another while cities and loyalties change in the blink of an eye.

Scam 2003: The Telgi Story, produced by Applause Entertainment, is streaming on Sony LIV.