Hansal Mehta's Scam 2003 validates that Indian audiences love to root for anti-heroes

Scam 2003 has dropped on Sony Liv with a ton of expectations and a steady inflow of appreciation. Gagan Dev Riar, who plays the protagonist Abdul Karim Telgi, has won high praise from critics and viewers because of his immaculate, genuine performance. Resembling the mastermind of the mind-boggling 30,000 crore stamp paper scam that has taken 12 years for government agencies to clean up (and is still ongoing), this series focuses on his intelligence, courage, and dare-to-do ability. The success of this series reflects a clear trend in Indian shows on OTT- a good anti-hero makes for great viewing.

Writers Kiran Yadnopavit, Kedar Patankar, and Karan Vyas have focused on building the effectiveness of Telgi as the common person who became a financial crime mastermind. While the plot is not gripping or foolproof, it works because Telgi’s desire to become incredibly wealthy while beating a preset-class-driven destiny is easy to relate to. Without any job prospects in Karnataka despite being a graduate, he moves to Mumbai to make a living. Here he gets exposed to incredible wealth and the opportunity to make money through illegal trades in the financial world. The fact that getting higher education doesn’t bring any job prospects in India is true today, with a job market in crisis. As countless people move to metro cities to earn a livelihood, Telgi’s success feels enviable. Telgi’s instincts in navigating and manipulating a money-crazed political and law and order system resonate with many. In the time frame of India’s economic liberalization and financial growth knocking on the doors of many, Telgi just picks a loophole in this system, exploits it by breaking the law and bribing people, and keeps opening that loophole gradually to an unimaginable scale.

Only as the first part of this two-part series comes to a close, does a dramatic and difficult scene offer the rationale behind Telgi’s unlimited hunger for money. He is striving to move to a higher ‘aukad’ (social status) with incredible wealth. He seeks power, to control his destiny, and doesn’t want to be subject to a lifetime of financial struggle. His successes underline a common belief amongst Indians, one that is often justified. To actually grow and become rich, you have to bend the rules and break the law. This feeling, coupled with Riar’s brilliant performance, makes one root for him.

Scam 2003 repeats the popularity of the first season, Scam 1992 (2020) told Harshad Mehta’s story. A reputed stockbroker who got exposed as a fraudster in the 1992 securities scam, his story brings the dramatic arc of a common man hero from rise to downfall. In this series, Harshad Mehta (Pratik Gandhi) makes for a likeable anti-hero who will not let economic circumstances and the monopoly of the powerful put him down. He keeps taking huge risks, ignoring his brother’s caution, and pushes ahead with stock market manipulation, giving a fillip to rising speculation around share trading in our country. Mehta also courted the media and enjoyed the spotlight that press coverage would bring him, ultimately bringing his nemesis from this desire to be known. While his downfall is presented, the series’ high point is his rise against complicated limitations set by financial governance. Mehta is a lower middle-class boy that upgrades his life enough to live in a plush South Bombay flat and luxury foreign cars. Most viewers connect with his aspirations and grudgingly admire his courage and ability to outsmart bankers, and financial experts for a long time, making his story the biggest draw for this series.

Audiences have rooted for a strong villain in Hindi cinema forever. This is visible in the popularity and favour that anti-heroes have found in the OTT series. Unlike film villains, these are rooted and driven to change their difficult economic and social reality. Caste origins that can destroy a life make for a solid origin story of Hathora Tyagi (Abhishek Banerjee) in Pataal Lok (2020). In a series peppered with strong characters, this performance and persona caught on with audiences because his violence and anger almost seem justified. He kills because he is loyal and uses his murderous abilities to bring justice to the wronged. Speaking less and letting his eyes do most of the talking, Tyagi is almost mysterious and destined to die, but his life’s story is poignant. Nawazuddin Siddiqui as Ganesh Gaitonde in Sacred Games (2019) was followed closely by viewers because of his unpredictability. This series elevates him from a regular Mumbai gangster who rises to the top on violence and blood lust, to an adaptable survivor. He also has a gentle heart and cares for those that love him. Riding on his instincts alone, he navigates a powerful religious cult guru and the Indian intelligence services to build his power at home and overseas. Coupled with Siddiqui’s performance, Gaitonde is a complex anti-hero that keeps the audience guessing.

This aspiration to break rules and grow beyond one’s wildest dreams also built curiosity around the Netflix docu-series Bad Boy Billionaires (2020). This chronicle of real-life business tycoons that duped the Indian financial and governance system to accrue millions and escape to foreign shores reflects a common aspiration- leave the struggle of this competitive, populated country for a better life abroad. Watching the journey of anti-heroes who took on a present social system and beat the laws is like living these aspirations vicariously. As the stories of anti-heroes are presented in a realistic, relatable manner, their ability to pull audiences to an OTT series will keep growing.