Nagraj Mangule’s Matka King has a distinct hangover of Hansal Mehta’s Scam. Both in terms of atmospherics as well as the characterization of the central protagonist. Having said that series does a good job in exploring the origin of Matka. Vijay Verma’s Brij Bhatti aiming to challenge the class divisions through this game and how it eventually became a parallel economy. In the current age of illegal betting apps, the web series has a contemporary feel
Starcast: Vijay Varma, Sai Tamhankar, Kritika Kamra, Siddarth Jadav, Gulshan Grover and others
Genre: Crime/drama
Writer: Abbay Koranne
Director: Nagraj Mangule
Cinematography: Sudhakar Reddy
Producers: Nagraj Mangule, Siddarth Roy Kapur etc
Production Companies: Roy Kapoor Films, SMR Entertainment etc
Theme song: Ajay Jayanthi
No of episodes: 8
Streaming site: Amazon Prime
Stories of crime with gray protagonists make for a fascinating viewing. The reason being as human beings we generally have shades of both white and black. Movies like Deewar and Satya are solid examples of these. In 2024 there was the Karuna Kumar directorial Matka also touching upon a real life Matka gambler but the game in that was just a plot device. Nagraj Mangule’s Matka King not surprisingly does a far better job in exploring the social context of Matka.
Matka King’s story in brief focuses on the rise of Vijay Varma’s Brij Batti. How he turns the betting game into a household obsession forms the main core of Matka King. The web series also looks at the moral decay of Brij. From wanting to build a fair system for the common man to getting consumed by greed and power. Simultaneously there is also the rise of underworld represented through Vineet Kumar Singh’s Darab Ahmed Wadkar.
A strong aspect of Matka King are its lived-in atmospherics. A major credit for that goes to cinematographer Sudhakar Reddy. The texture of 60’s Mumbai has a lived-in feel whether its the gambling dens or the trading hubs. Both the allure and the grit have been wonderfully captured by the cinematographer. The production design coupled with the costumes further add to the immersive experience. There isn’t much scope for music, but the theme song has a catchy feel.
Another strong aspect of Matka King is the central character of Vijay Varma. The role of Bhatti is layered with different nuances. How he gradually ascends the social ladder and the moral descent has been superbly captured in both the writing as well as the acting. There is a crucial line by Sai Tamhankar when she says to Brij on how he isn’t completely bad, therefore it’s difficult to dislike him fully. This pretty much sums up the character of Brij Batti. Matka King also benefits from well written women characters. Sai Tamhankar as the wife isn’t a typical helpless spouse. The character Barkha strongly asserts herself when required. Vijay and Sai Tamhankar have some solidly written confrontation scenes.
Similarly, Kritika Kamra playing a widow striving for her own autonomy is also well written and enacted. Much like Sai Tamhankar’s Barkha Kritika’ s Gulrak also comes with a certain agency, and this is reflected in numerous scenes. Siddarth Jadav as Dagdu is another actor who stands out. Dagdu starts off as loyal but soon things take a turn when he feels cheated by his master. Siddarth Jadav does an excellent job in pulling off the different nuances.
Mention must also be made of how Nagraj Manjule and Abbay Koranne have used the game of Matka. Matka becomes a symbolism of restless India with people wanting to make a quick buck in the absence of equal opportunities. When we look at today’s age of illegal betting aps clearly nothing much has changed. This adds an important social layer to Matka King taking it beyond a tale of one man’s rise.
Coming to the flaw’s certain tracks function as a buildup to season 2. The extended cameo of Vineet Kumar Singh is a perfect example of this. Vineet Kumar Singh gets the swag of an underworld don right on spot, but the writing needed to be much better. There is also the subplot of emergency not adding much to the web show. Also, the significant hangover of Scam will act as a deterrent for some.
Final word: Matka King is worth watching for fans of gritty crime dramas and of course Vijay Verma’s admirers.