In 1960’s Mumbai, Ratan Khatri, a small-time Sindhi cotton trader noticed how people were easily tempted to gamble on their fates to earn some extra income. From cotton mill workers indulging in betting linked to the opening and closing rates of the New York Cotton Exchange, to housewives in chawls picking chits from a pot and to the elites who would bet on race horses- informal forms of gambling existed in all bylanes of the city.
Ratan had an idea: why not integrate gambling into one system? He simplified the betting process and made it accessible to anyone willing to test their fate. His ‘matka’ involved picking cards from an Earthen pot, and if your number was drawn, your bet amount would be multiplied. Unlike his rivals, Ratan promised transparency and access. Thus, the matka gambling system was popularised in Mumbai.In Amazon Prime Video’s Matka King, Vijay Varma plays Brij Bhatti, an enterprising cotton trader with little more than hope and hunger. Matka King is noticeably (but informally) inspired by Ratan Khatri’s life. What begins as a desperate attempt to carve out a respectable life gradually turns into the birth of a gambling phenomenon that grips the city and eventually the nation.
The series charts Brij’s evolution from an underdog to a kingpin, exploring how luck, risk, and power reshape not just his fortunes but his relationships and moral compass. Set in the restless, rapidly transforming Bombay of the 1960s, the show takes us deep into the shadowy underworld of matka gambling.
Vijay Varma ably shoulders Brij and plays him with a restraint that is both initially confusing and interesting. It keeps you questioning his character, whose peculiarities make sense towards the end of the show. Director Nagraj Manjule does a fine job setting up the retro world and drawing a unique performance out of Vijay.
However, despite a capable headliner, it is Siddharth Jadhav who steals the show. Siddharth plays Dagudu Vichare, a former army officer who was wronged by his senior officer. His circumstances lead him to become a mill worker who eventually helps Brij run his empire. Dagudu is also the narrator of the show, and, considering the setting, it was refreshing to hear a Hindi-based show narrated in a Marathi accent.
