Apr 07, 2026 1:58pm IST
‘Matka King’ Trailer Review: Vijay Varma and Nagraj Popatrao Manjule Promise More Than a Standard Rise-to-Power Saga
The trailer for “Matka King” has enough going for it to hold attention, but it also arrives carrying a burden that many contemporary Indian crime dramas succumb to: the need to prove it is more than just another period underworld story with a charismatic man at the center. To its credit, this first look does suggest there is something more specific and more layered at play here. But it is not entirely free of familiar rhythms either.
Created and directed by Nagraj Popatrao Manjule, the series follows Vijay Varma’s Brij Bhatti, a cotton trader who appears to build an empire around the matka gambling boom. It is a solid premise because it comes with its own built-in social commentary. This is not merely a tale of one man entering crime. It is about how cities create alternate economies when formal systems fail to include the people they are meant to serve. That idea gives the trailer its strongest footing.
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Vijay Varma, unsurprisingly, looks well-cast. He brings a certain slyness and intelligence to Brij that immediately makes the character more interesting than the usual self-important gangster archetype. There is ambition in the performance, but not the kind that screams. He seems to be playing a man who understands the room before anyone else does, and that works in the trailer’s favor.
Where “Matka King” is more uneven is in how much of the rest of it still feels recognizable. The beats of ascent, warning, temptation and looming collapse are all visible here, and while that is not necessarily a problem in itself, the trailer does not yet fully separate the show from the larger crowd of crime dramas that often promise depth and then settle for posturing. There are moments where the visual language and dramatic tension feel distinct, and others where it slips a little too easily into familiar territory.
That said, Manjule’s presence is still the most compelling reason to stay invested. His work has never been shorn of style, and there are glimpses here of a sharper gaze beneath the genre setup; one that seems interested in class, power and the economics of desire as much as the mechanics of crime.
For now, “Matka King” looks promising, but not yet fully convincing. The trailer sells a strong idea and a capable lead. Whether the series becomes something memorable will depend on how much more it has to say beyond the rise of another king.
“Matka King" will drop on Amazon Prime Video on April 17, 2026.
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