Abdul Karim Telgi orchestrated a large-scale counterfeit stamp paper operation in India during the late 1990s and early 2000s. By illegally printing and distributing fake stamp papers, Telgi defrauded government revenues and a wide range of individuals and institutions. His arrest, prosecution, and eventual convictions attracted extensive media attention and raised questions about systemic corruption, bureaucratic collusion, and regulatory failures.
Based on the book Telgi Scam: Reporter's Diary by Sanjay Singh, the series chronicles the rise and fall of Abdul Karim Telgi, the mastermind behind the stamp paper scam that shook India in the early 2000s. Unlike Harshad Mehta (who operated in the stock market), Telgi’s playground was the dusty, unglamorous world of bureaucracy and counterfeit stamps.
Scam 2003 is a worthy addition to the franchise. It may not give you the "wolf of Dalal Street" adrenaline rush, but it offers a grittier, darker, and perhaps more realistic look at crime in India. Watch it for Gagan Dev Riar’s phenomenal performance and to understand one of the most intricate scams in Indian history.
Recommended for: Fans of biopics, crime dramas, and those who enjoy a slow-burn political thriller.
Scam 2003: The Telgi Story is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language biographical financial thriller that serves as the second installment in the Scam franchise, following the massive success of Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story. Series Overview scam 2003 the telgi story 2023 web series top
The series chronicles the life of Abdul Karim Telgi, a former fruit seller from Khanapur, Karnataka, who orchestrated one of India's most ingenious and expansive criminal schemes: the Stamp Paper Scam. Streaming Platform: Available exclusively on SonyLIV.
Release Date: Premiered in two parts, with the first volume releasing on September 1, 2023, and the second on November 3, 2023. Format: 10 episodes in total.
Direction: Directed by Tushar Hiranandani, with Hansal Mehta serving as the showrunner and co-director. Plot & True Story
Based on the book Telgi Scam: Reporter's ki Diary by journalist Sanjay Singh, the series explores how Telgi built a counterfeit stamp paper empire. Scam 2003 - The Telgi Story (TV Series 2023) Adapted by Karan Vyas and team, the screenplay
Scam 2003: The Telgi Story is a compelling follow-up to the acclaimed Scam 1992, pivoting from the high-stakes stock market to the gritty underworld of India's biggest counterfeiting operation. Directed by Tushar Hiranandani and developed by showrunner Hansal Mehta, the series premiered on SonyLIV in September 2023. It meticulously uncovers how a fruit seller from Khanapur, Karnataka, manipulated the Indian bureaucracy to build a ₹30,000 crore empire. Plot: From Fruit Seller to Kingpin
Inspired by Sanjay Singh’s book Telgi Scam: Reporter’s ki Diary, the narrative traces the meteoric rise and inevitable fall of Abdul Karim Telgi.
The Humble Start: The story begins with Telgi selling fruit on trains with a "gift of gab" that catches the eye of a guest house owner who offers him a job in Mumbai.
The Mastermind Idea: After a stint in the Gulf and a brief prison term for forgery, Telgi meets Kaushal Zaveri, who runs a small revenue stamp reuse scam. This sparks Telgi’s vision for a massive-scale operation: printing and distributing counterfeit stamp papers. The method
Systemic Corruption: The series focuses heavily on how Telgi exploited the "money circus" within government departments, bribing politicians and police officers to ensure his fake stamps circulated as legitimate. Performance Highlights
The series is widely praised for its lead performance, which serves as its strongest anchor:
Scam 2003: The Telgi Story is a biographical crime drama series released in 2023 on SonyLIV. It serves as the second installment in the Scam franchise, directed by Tushar Hiranandani and co-directed by Hansal Mehta. The series dramatizes the massive 2003 Indian stamp paper counterfeiting scam orchestrated by Abdul Karim Telgi. Top Cast and Characters
The series features a large ensemble cast, anchored by a breakthrough performance in the lead role: Scam 2003 - The Telgi Story (TV Series 2023) - IMDb
Adapted by Karan Vyas and team, the screenplay does not dumb down the mechanics of the scam. It explains complex financial fraud (like Non-Judicial Stamp Paper vs. Judicial) in simple visual metaphors. The series spends equal time on the "why" of the scam—the systemic poverty and police harassment that turned Telgi into a criminal—as it does on the "how."