The web series Scam 2010: The Subrata Roy Saga is based on Sahara: The Untold Story, a 2014 book by senior business journalist Tamal Bandyopadhyay. Here is what you should know about the author and the book.
Who is Tamal Bandyopadhyay?
Tamal Bandyopadhyay is one of India’s best known banking journalists. He was part of the founding team of the business newspaper Mint, and has been consulting editor at Business Standard, where he writes a long-running column on banking and finance. He has also served as a senior adviser to Jana Small Finance Bank. He received the Ramnath Goenka Award for journalism in 2016.
His books
- A Bank for the Buck (2013), on HDFC Bank
- Sahara: The Untold Story (2014)
- Bandhan (2016), on the microlender turned bank
- From Lehman to Demonetization (2017)
- HDFC Bank 2.0 (2019)
- Pandemonium (2020), on banking during the pandemic
- Roller Coaster (2023)
What the Sahara book covers
The book traces how Subrata Roy built Sahara from a small savings business in Gorakhpur into a giant spread across finance, real estate, media, aviation and sport, and how the group came into conflict with SEBI. It draws on court records, interviews and the author’s years of reporting on Indian finance. It was released at a time when the Supreme Court case was at its most intense, and when Roy himself was in jail.
The legal fight over the book
In December 2013, before the book came out, Sahara filed a defamation suit of ₹200 crore against the author and the publisher, and got a stay on its release from the Calcutta High Court, Business Standard reported. In April 2014, Sahara withdrew the suit, and the book was published with a disclaimer from Sahara calling it defamatory.
From book to series
Hansal Mehta’s earlier series also came from books: Scam 1992 was based on The Scam by Debashis Basu and Sucheta Dalal, and Scam 2003 on Reporter Ki Diary by Sanjay Singh. Scam 2010 follows the same pattern of adapting a journalist’s work.
Should you read it before watching?
If you want the financial and legal detail behind the drama, the book is a useful companion. The series will likely add personal scenes and dialogue that a reported book does not have.
Frequently asked questions
Is Scam 2010 based on a book?
Yes, on Sahara: The Untold Story by Tamal Bandyopadhyay, published in 2014.
Is the book still available?
It has been sold in print and e-book form since 2014.
Questions to think about
- Why do journalists’ books make strong material for streaming series?
- Do defamation suits against books protect reputations or limit public debate?
- Would you read the book before or after watching Scam 2010?
