It was obvious to presume that after the astonishing success of Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story, the filmmaker would also direct Scam 2003: The Telgi Story, but Hansal Mehta handed the baton over to Tushar Hiranandani. Was it trust or a need to change the vision? “The show needed a fresh pair of eyes. Scam remains my baby, but now it also has a new parent,” begins Mehta, who serves as the showrunner of Sony LIV’s latest offering that is based on Sanjay Singh’s Telgi Scam: Reporter ki Diary.

Even though the second part of the season is yet to air, Mehta is thrilled that his decision to rope in Hiranandani paid off. “Tushar brings in an element of entertainment because of his experience in commercial cinema. I wanted that in Scam 2003, because Telgi is a different beast from Harshad Mehta,” says the showrunner, adding that following this experience, he is keen to build more collaborations with other directors on shows while he takes on the larger role of a showrunner.

“I enjoy mentoring the format and guiding the process. Scam has given us so much love and changed so many lives; [it is] a responsibility to keep that spirit alive.”

Another crucial task at hand for Mehta and his team was to find their Telgi. Courtesy the benchmark set by Pratik Gandhi in Scam 1992. People wanted to see if the makers could recreate the magic with Scam 2003. While the show has received mixed reviews, the casting of Gagan Dev Riar as Abdul Karim Telgi has passed with flying colours. But the filmmaker asserts that any comparison between Gandhi and Riar would be unfair.

“I feel blessed that I am able to give a platform to actors like Gagan because he is such a phenomenal talent. It was a difficult part to play. There’s no scope to look conventionally attractive with a pot belly and awkward [body language that shows him] constantly pulling his pants up. He is not suave or well-dressed. Yet, he has a riveting presence. Gagan is too seasoned an actor to take the pressure of comparisons with Pratik. Not only are their characters different, but even their approach is different,” expresses Mehta, who believes that the only commonality between the two is their acting prowess.

The creator-director also reveals that the journey of Scam is far from over. “We are now discussing ideas for the third season. It will be nice to return to the chair [of the director] for the third season,” he smiles.

Tushar Hiranandani and Hansal Mehta