It’s not often that one sees Shekhar Suman put on his acting shoes for a film or an OTT show. The veteran, largely known for his impeccable presence as a TV host and presenter, has always been very choosy as an actor. This is why his presence in The Pyramid Scheme, the upcoming TVF show, draws attention. In the series that revolves around the world of scamming, Shekhar will be seen playing Tarun Bajaj, a popular marketing genius who hides many secrets. Talking about why he decided to onboard the series, Shekhar says, “The world has grown, and the filmmaking style has changed. It’s not about black or white, characters are grey, and true to human nature now. If someone has Ram within, they also have qualities of Raavan. My character too appears one thing on the outside, while being something else within.”
As someone who has found renewed applause with his newly-launched YouTube show Shekhar Tonite, which makes plenty of space for his biting satire on socio-political affairs, Shekhar also talks about the social commentary in The Pyramid Scheme that he finds urgent. He says, “This is an important story to be told. In our society, the rich become richer and the poor get poorer. Often, the poor are left with no option, and fall into this mousetrap, they are bound to. For them, there is no point of return. This show is like a ‘warning’ in that sense.”
Ranvir Shorey, who plays one of the protagonists, disagrees with his co-star. Despite being part of many politically charged films in the past, the Khosla Ka Ghosla actor doesn’t advocate storytellers taking on the additional pressure of delivering a ‘message.’ He says, “I don't think films should be seen or made from a lens of social responsibility. Artists shouldn’t necessarily make art to send a message, as long as it addresses some truth about the human condition. The aspirations which motivate characters, I find that exploration more compelling than its social ramifications.” Talking about his role in the series, Ranvir says, “Here, you see the relationships through their conflict, family equations, dynamics between friends, jealousies etc. There are many other elements besides what the scam is.”
In The Pyramid Scheme, Ranvir shares the centrestage with Paramveer Singh Cheema, who plays the role of Goldie. In the past few years, Paramveer has won praise for his work in Black Warrant (2025), Tere Ishk Mein (2025), and Sapne vs Everyone. All of them, incidentally, had him playing a version of the soft-spoken ‘nice guy’ who is privy to the emotional violence of the world around him. How does Goldie stand apart? “‘I have never played a ‘chalaak aadmi (smart guy),’ Paramveer says, adding, “Goldie here is clever… and greedy. This show is about people addicted to schemes and the idea of getting rich. But sometimes, people choose to dive deeper into this world even after bearing losses and being stuck. They want to prove themselves.” Paramveer recalls watching a short video where a man claimed he could shake a bottle without touching it. “I saw the full video, knowing it was impossible. Somewhere, I hoped ‘maybe he can do it. If he can, I want to know how.’ That’s what reading this script was like, to me.”
It’s not like there haven’t been many shows about scamming or con-men — some of them, like Scam 1992 (2020) or Jamtara(2020) have even achieved great popularity. What promises to set The Pyramid Scheme apart, however, is the quintessential TVF touch, with a story that centres on common people getting dragged into this murky universe. Creator and co-director Shreyansh Pandey talks about how the show originated from a real-life incident. Recalling when the show was first pitched to him, Shreyansh states, “Our writer Akshendra Mishra had narrated a personal incident to me, from back in 2011 when he once visited his relatives. Those relatives began selling a scheme to him, forgetting that he is a family member, a little kid. They didn’t even ask if he wanted a glass of water. That violence stayed with me.” Further recalling the story development phase, Shreyansh says, “As we did more research, we found out this was a vast world. A lot of people are affected by these schemes, most of whom can’t even talk about it openly due to fear of humiliation. We understood this is a prevalent subculture, and deserves a show of its own.”
The TVF creator also labels his new show primarily as a ‘human drama,’ while admitting to the challenges of catching up with audiences’ changing preferences. “We are living in a world where the audience is consuming everything relentlessly. As makers, you have to catch up and reinvent your craft, so that you occupy a fair share in their minds. And of course, this show is a satire, but it’s also a human drama. The impact on relationships will not change, that’s the universal truth for a good story. The human drama remains intact,” he concludes.
