Matka King Review – Classic Setup, Flat Execution

BOTTOM LINE
Classic Setup, Flat Execution

PLATFORM
Amazon Prime Video

RUNTIME
420 Mins (8 Episodes)

What Is the Show About?

Brij Bhatti, a debt-ridden cotton worker, launches the Matka gambling game in Mumbai’s textile mills. As the operation expands nationwide, he faces intense pressure from media, cops and politicians alike. Internal betrayals by his kith and kin, interference from rivals, gradually threaten his empire. Amidst a massive city-wide mill strike, he goes all out to defend his fading legacy.

Performances

Vijay Varma is a natural choice to play a flawed, ordinary middle-class man who rises to the top as a gambling kingpin. He lends Brij Bhatti the necessary gravitas, navigating the character’s highs and lows with compelling believability. Sai Tamhankar, while cast in the stereotypical role of a wife confined to the domestic sphere, superbly captures the quiet, mounting emptiness of a woman whose worth goes unrecognised by her partner.

Kritika Kamra, while impressive as the widow smitten by a married gambler, would’ve shone more in a meatier role. If there’s a perfect casting choice in the show, it is undoubtedly Gulshan Grover; he may not do much, but you believe he is the snobbish Laljibhai every time he is on screen. Siddharth Jadhav does justice to his key role as Bhatti’s right-hand man.

Others, including capable names like Vineet Kumar Singh and Jamie Lever, aren’t left with much to do after a point. Bhupendra Jadawat is apt as Bhatti’s spoilt brother, Laxman, though the part needed more depth to fully realise his need for rebellion.

Analysis

The industry consistently reiterates that web shows are a writer’s bastion. One wonders why, given that directorial voice is as integral to filmmaking as the writing; after all, how you experience a story ultimately boils down to its interpretation. As you watch Matka King, co-written and directed by Nagraj Manjule, you wonder if the writer in him has taken over the filmmaker.

Make no mistake: Matka King has the makings of a classic tale of a disgruntled middle-class man who turns into a gambling kingpin, winning the big game only to occupy a lonely throne at the top. Set in 1960s-70s Mumbai, where post-independence optimism is largely a thing of the past, the show pays meticulous attention to cultural details to lend authenticity to the backdrop.

Coming from a filmmaker like Manjule, who understands the complex power hierarchies across various classes and communities, it’s only natural to expect a nuanced take. While it has its share of sparks, it is, at best, an effective chronicle of the rise and fall of a gambler in a period saga that underlines how fame and money come with a price.

Brij Bhatti may have the world at his feet, but he has no one to share it with. On most occasions, the show takes a predictable trajectory, as the lead protagonist grows, those who started it all with him fall behind and are no longer by his side. While in a conventional film, those around Bhatti would’ve been reduced to glorified sidekicks, the long format gives them the space to have their own arcs.

Matka King is anchored by well-etched characters with distinct identities. Through Brij’s mistress, Gulrukh, you get a sense of life within the Sindhi community. Through his wife, Barkha, you see a partner who simply wants more time with her husband, though eventually they have nothing to discuss. Then there’s his brother, Laxman, a spoilt youth in need of course correction, craving nothing but warmth.

What truly resonates is the show’s critique of a system that thrives on exploitation and abandons integrity. Had Brij Bhatti’s boss, Laljibhai, addressed his subordinate’s desperation during his most vulnerable phase, Bhatti might never have turned to gambling in the first place. The situation is not unlike that of the cop trying to dismantle the sheen of Bhatti’s empire. Both are casualties of the same machinery.

While there is little reason to fault the show’s politics or intentions, the passionless execution is a significant disappointment. The storytelling lacks urgency and tension. The characters, despite their nuance, are placed in achingly stereotypical scenarios where their responses feel entirely too predictable. Everything is laid bare, leaving the audience with little to reflect upon or absorb.

One ultimately wonders what the director brought to this otherwise familiar tale. While there is obvious sophistication in the execution, characterisation, and performances, the show lacks vigour. It feels like a project greenlit by the platform rather than a story born of creative necessity; it misses that junoon, the raw enthusiasm one expects from a grand narrative with such a vast canvas and potential.

Matka King is a typical rise-and-fall story of a man in the criminal underworld, shaped by the harsh realities of his times. While the period detailing, character depth, and production values are impressive, the storytelling remains flat.

Music and Other Departments?

The soundtrack, supervised by Achint Thakkar and Parth Pandya, is richly textured and lively, giving space for situations to breathe, though the songs could’ve been woven into the narrative with more creativity. After all, what is Mumbai in the 60s and 70s without its music and poetry?

Manjule’s regular collaborator, cinematographer Sudhakar Reddy Yakkanti, and production designer Priya Suhas deserve the lion’s share of the credit for the show’s technical finesse and cultural authenticity. Writer Ashish Aryan has a good story to tell, but it is packed with too many familiar beats.

Highlights?

Technical finesse

Cultural detailing

Neat performances, good characterisation

Drawbacks?

Predictable storytelling

Cliched situations, flat narration

Too long, despite the nuanced characters

Did I Enjoy It?

Yes, but it also leaves you craving for more.

Will You Recommend It?

If you enjoy a familiar rise-fall tale of a criminal with a sophisticated execution

Matka King Web Series Reviewed by M9 News

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