Scam 2003’s Gagan Dev Riar on Becoming Telgi

What Preparation Did You Do To Portray a Character Like Abdul Karim Telgi?

You read the script thoroughly, over and over again, to understand where the character is coming from and you write down 50 things about that character that are not mentioned in the script.

How Does One Humanise Someone Who Has Committed a Large Scale-Fraud?

I think it was a little easier for me because I believe in forgiveness. We all commit small transgressions on a day-to-day basis. We know it is wrong, but we still do it.

Did You Feel Any Pressure on You Since The Last Scam 1992 (2020) Was a Huge Hit?

Thanks to all the theatre that I have done, because we perform alongside many actors — we have our show and then there are other shows on the same day — we are not taught to compete with other actors.

What does the Transition from Theatre to Mainstream Media Feel Like?

I don't know whether it's mainstream or not — time will tell if I will get work in the future. I’ve seen people coming and going. I'm just trying to keep myself grounded and be very humble.

Are There Any Memorable Experiences or Something That Particularly Stayed With You?

Every day is a new experience. This was the longest I have faced the camera so definitely I will remember this shooting experience for the rest of my life. There was this one courtroom scene where I had to show the duality of the character.