Star Cast: Vijay Varma, Sai Tamhankar, Kritika Kamra, Bhupendra Jadawat, Gulshan Grover
Director: Nagraj Manjule
Synopsis:
MATKA KING is the story of a man’s unbelievable rise. The year is 1964. Brij Bhatti (Vijay Varma) lives in a chawl in Bombay (present-day Mumbai) with his wife Barkha (Sai Tamhankar) and younger brother Lachu, aka Lakshman (Bhupendra Jadawat). Brij struggles to make ends meet despite working as a manager for cotton merchant Lalji Bhai Chaggani (Gulshan Grover), who also runs a heavily rigged betting business. Meanwhile, Lachu is drowning in debt after losing heavily in gambling. The loan shark Jinu Bhai (Istayak Arif Khan) is about to amputate Lachu’s finger for failing to repay Rs. 5,000. In desperation, Brij asks for a week’s time and promises to pay Jinu Rs. 10,000 instead. Tempted by the offer, Jinu agrees and spares Lachu. Brij then begs Lalji for a loan, but Lalji not only refuses, he also humiliates him. Left with no option, Brij decides to start his own gambling business. He calls it ‘Matka’, as it involves an earthen pot. With the help of Lachu and a worker named Dagdu (Siddharth Jadhav), he begins promoting Matka among labourers. They are drawn to the game as it offers the chance to win big money and, more importantly, Brij promises honesty in the system. In no time, the game becomes hugely popular. Threatened by this, Lalji tries to sabotage Brij’s venture, but Brij bounces back after every setback. Meanwhile, his marriage begins to suffer, and he finds himself attracted to a rich widow, Gulrukh (Kritika Kamra). What happens next forms the rest of the series.
Matka King Story Review:
Ashish Aryan’s story concept, inspired by real-life events, is captivating. Abhay Koranne and Nagraj Popatrao Manjule’s screenplay grips viewers effectively, especially in the initial portions. However, the writing turns clichéd after a point. Their dialogues are sharp, but the show lacks enough power-packed, heroic one-liners, which would have worked well in a subject of this kind.
Nagraj Popatrao Manjule's direction is effective. The rules of Matka are a bit complex but he keeps his direction simple and easy to comprehend. As a result, one doesn't get confused at any point. What's interesting here is that though the protagonist is on the wrong side of the law, one roots for him as he doesn’t compromise on ethics and morals. This is not a typical massy venture but a few scenes are truly clapworthy. The way Brij is able to open the numbers despite being in the police station is one such example. Also, the madness that occurs mid-air is splendid. If this were a film scene, it would have been greeted with seetis and taalis in the cinema hall. Finally, the way Nagraj cast certain actors from Marathi cinema is praiseworthy, especially because they rarely get noticed or featured in such shows.
On the flipside, the show carries a novelty value in the beginning due to the ‘Matka’ element. Once the game is established, however, the narrative turns routine, with the protagonist being targeted by the government and rival sharks in the market while his loved ones also turn against him. Some scenes evoke memories of ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAAI [2010], SCAM 1992 [2020] and other titles in the same space. No explanation is given for why the protagonist suddenly starts wearing white. A few tracks are underutilized and end up getting a raw deal. The show ends on a cliffhanger, promising a sequel. However, certain characters are abruptly forgotten. Ideally, the makers should have wrapped up their arcs more effectively, even if they are expected to continue in the next season. Lastly, Matka as a game, relied heavily on honesty. Yet, given the circumstances, there was tremendous scope for dishonesty, especially since the game was played across the country. This aspect, however, is not explored or explained adequately.
Matka King Performances:
Vijay Varma is in top form and brings freshness to this space. He doesn't play the part like a typical antihero and this works well in his favour. Sai Tamhankar and Kritika Kamra deliver stupendous performances and hold strong positions. Bhupendra Jadawat gets a bit overpowered, but nevertheless, he's fine. Gulshan Grover is aptly cast. Siddharth Jadhav is terrific and he's sure to be talked about after the show. Girish Kulkarni (T P D'Souza) sports a different look and does well. Bharat Jadhav (Eknath Tumbade; cop) leaves a huge mark and is another fine talent from Marathi cinema that gets such exposure, thanks to this show. Jamie Lever (Sulbha) lends able support. Istayak Arif Khan is decent, but his character devolves from a menacing goon to a random sidekick of the protagonist, which is laughable. The others who do well are Simran Ashwini (Vasudha), Cyrus Sahukar (Maqsood), Kishore Kadam (Prataprao Bapat; minister), Arpita Sethiya (Rukmini), Sanjivv Jotangia (Subhash Kanojia; editor in chief, The Progress Post), Devas Dixit (Neelkanth Purohit; lawyer) and Rajiv Mishra (Capt Rajiv; pilot). Akash Sinha (Prof Shafiq) is fair; however, his track is underutilized. Viineet Kumar Siingh is fair in a special appearance as Darab Ahmed Wadkar.
Matka King music and other technical aspects:
Ajay Jayanthi's original theme is catchy while Ketan Sodha's background score is functional. The songs are poor. Sudhakar Reddy Yakkanti's cinematography is appropriate. Priya Suhass' production design is reminiscent of the bygone era. Special mention should also go to the use of an old police siren. It gives a nostalgic touch to the show. Priyanka Dubey's costumes are realistic and the ones worn by Kritika Kamra stand out. Riyaz-Habib's action is fine. Futureworks Media, Identical Brains and Resonance Digital's VFX could have been better. Nitin Baid's editing is satisfactory.
Matka King Review Conclusion:
On the whole, MATKA KING works because of its novel backdrop, effective direction, some clapworthy moments and a terrific performance by Vijay Varma. However, once the initial novelty wears off, the narrative turns formulaic and a few tracks fail to leave the desired impact. Nevertheless, it remains an engaging watch, especially for viewers fond of gangster dramas and rise-to-power stories.
Rating - 3 stars
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