MUMBAI: After delivering a monster hit with Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story, SonyLiv and Applause Entertainment are looking to recreate the magic with the second season of the Scam franchise.
Tentatively titled Scam 2003: The Curious Case of Abdul Karim Telgi, the show will be adapted from the Hindi book Reporter ki Diary authored by journalist Sanjay Singh, who broke the story of the 2003 stamp paper scam by notorious counterfeiter Abdul Karim Telgi.
The series promises to be an intriguing watch as it will capture the life of Telgi, born in Khanapur in Karnataka, and his journey to becoming the mastermind behind one of India’s most ingenious scams spread across multiple states which shook the entire country. It is estimated that the scam value was allegedly around Rs 20,000 crores.
Applause has roped in the talented Kiran Yadnyopavit, known for his contribution to the Marathi film industry, to write and develop the story along with author Sanjay Singh, with Hansal Mehta back at the helm.
Applause Entertainment CEO Sameer Nair said, “Scam 1992 has helped establish a solid ground for the Scam franchise where we aim to tell stories about the various scams that our country has witnessed, the people behind it, their motivations and machinations. The success of Scam 1992 endorsed our belief about the audiences’ interest in such stories. We are extremely thrilled to announce The Telgi Story as the next season. There is some great potential we see in this story and are absolutely delighted to partner once again with StudioNext, SonyLiv and Hansal Mehta in taking forward this franchise.”
Sony Pictures Networks India Sony Entertainment Television, SonyLiv & StudioNext EVP & business head Danish Khan said, “We are delighted to partner with Sameer Nair and his fantastic team at Applause for season two of Scam. We look forward to collaborate with Hansal Mehta to bring an absolutely compelling show for our SonyLiv premium subscribers.”
Director Hansal Mehta said, “I am delighted to be back with exploring yet another fascinating story following the immense success of Scam 1992. The new season of this franchise will focus on another riveting story that shook the country a few years ago – the stamp paper scam. I am looking forward to collaborating again with team Applause, SonyLiv and StudioNext, partners who think alike and encourage creative thought.”
Scam 2003: The Curious Case of Abdul Karim Telgi, is being produced by Applause Entertainment in association with StudioNext. The riveting series will be hitting the shoot floor later this year and stream exclusively on SonyLiv.
