Marking actor Vijay Varma's birthday, OTT platform Prime Video shared the teaser of his forthcoming drama "Matka King" on Sunday. Created and written by Abhay Koranne and directed by Nagraj Popatrao Manjule, the series is set to make its world premiere on April 17.
Set against the background of the fast-changing Bombay of the 1960s, it narrates the journey of an enterprising cotton trader, Brij Bhatti (played by Vijay Varma), who creates a new gambling system, dubbed ‘Matka’, turning an elite pastime into a nationwide phenomenon.
Jointly backed by Siddharth Roy Kapur, Nagraj Popatrao Manjule, Gargi Kulkarni, Ashwini Sidwani, and Ashish Aryan, under the banners of Roy Kapur Films, Aatpat, and SMR Productions, "Matka King" features Vijay as the lead, along with Kritika Kamra, Sai Tamhankar, Siddharth Jadhav, Bhupendra Jadawat, and Gulshan Grover in important roles.
Additionally, Vineet Kumar Singh, Bharat Jadhav, Girish Kulkarni, Jamie Lever, Kishor Kadam, Cyrus Sahukar, Arpita Sethia, Sambhaji Tangade, Ishtiyak Khan, Sanjivv Jotangia, and Simran Ashwini are also a part of the film's ancillary cast. Sharing the initial glimpse of the drama on social media, the makers wrote, "Pot spelt backwards is top and that is where a king belongs (sic)."
“Matka King is a gripping story of one man’s journey to succeed against all odds in a changing world, told in a way that will surprise audiences. The tale of Brij Bhatti’s rise as the Mata King is equal parts fascinating and cautionary," said Nikhil Madhok, director & head of Originals, Prime Video, India.
Siddharth Roy Kapur, co-producer for Matka King, shared, “What drew us to Matka King was the scale and uniqueness of the world it is set in, and the story of an individual navigating ambition, identity, and the pursuit of respect in a rapidly evolving society."