‘Matka King’ Season 1 Review: Vijay Varma, Kritika Kamra Shine in Gritty 1960s Gambling Drama

Matka King dives into the gritty world of 1960s Bombay’s underground gambling scene, offering a mix of ambition, risk, and consequence. At the heart of the story is Brij Bhatti, played by Vijay Varma, a man who transforms the Matka betting system into a widespread obsession. Makers Announce Release Date of Vijay Varma's 'Matka King' on Actor's Birthday.

‘Matka King’ Story

The series traces Bhatti’s rise from a struggling cotton trader to a powerful gambling kingpin. Inspired by the real-life origins of the Matka system linked to cotton rates from the New York Cotton Exchange, the narrative blends history with drama. While not a direct biopic, the similarities to figures like Ratan Khatri add intrigue. Set against the smoky, high-risk backdrop of Bombay, the show captures a world where dreams and desperation collide. It explores how a single idea can reshape an entire culture, while also hinting at the darker consequences of such ambition. Despite its promising setup, Matka King struggles with uneven pacing and predictable storytelling. At times, the narrative feels stretched, and certain character arcs lack depth especially the female characters, who could have been explored further. The technical aspects, including the recreation of the 1960s setting, also fall short of expectations, reducing the overall impact. While the series aims to balance character-driven drama with historical context, it doesn’t always fully commit to either.

Critics’ Reviews

TOI: At the center is Brij Bhatti, played with striking intensity by Vijay Varma. Introduced as an ambitious cotton trader yearning for legitimacy, Bhatti’s journey from a dreamer to a gambling overlord forms the emotional and thematic core of the series. His dissatisfaction with working under Lalji Bhai Chaggani (Gulshan Grover), coupled with his hunger for respect, sets the stage for his eventual rebellion. Alongside a disgraced ex-soldier, Dagdu (Siddharth Jadhav), and Gulrukh (Kritika Kamra), a widowed Parsi woman, Bhatti builds a system that brings gambling into the homes of the common man. What begins as a disruptive idea soon spirals into an empire—one that thrives on aspiration but feeds on risk. Overall, Matka King is an engaging yet imperfect period drama. It thrives on its performances, atmospheric world-building, and thematic ambition, but is held back by uneven pacing and predictable plot turns. Even so, it offers a compelling glimpse into a fascinating chapter of Mumbai’s history—where dreams, desperation, and danger converged in the turn of a number.

IndiaTV: Matka King is a good watch. It has thrill and suspense, and the writing of the show is done in a way that, with each passing episode, you’ll want to binge-watch it in one go, thanks to its cliffhangers. Vijay Varma portrays the role of Brij Bhatti as if it was made for him. The series also features an ensemble cast including Kritika Kamra, Sai Tamhankar, Siddharth Jadhav, Bhupendra Jadawat, and Gulshan Grover, all of whom add value to the storyline. While it does have some flaws, such as technical and pacing issues, if you like Vijay Varma and thrilling shows, you won’t be disappointed.

News18: It is not until the very end of the show that both Gulrukh and Barkha confront Brij. But even that confrontation is unsatisfactory. One could argue that Matka King is centred around Brij’s life and, as such, supporting characters may not require much attention. But this would be an invalid argument given how the male supporting characters are treated. Matka King could have been a great addition to the genre, given its able cast and crew. However, it is a one-time watch at best.

Koimoi: The visual grammar of the 1960s is arguably the major drawback of this web series! The sets never take you to the 60s and 70s. The series is a gambling bet that forgot to take the risks! It’s a story about a man who redefined gambling, but the creators themselves were too afraid to gamble. Brij Bhatti is both the hero and the villain, but does not commit to either of his sides wholeheartedly, and the show ends up hanging loose somewhere between the good and the bad. Let us just call it regular, and no one likes regular stuff! It keeps fumbling and stumbling till the very end. If you’re looking for the Nagraj Manjule who changes cinema, nothing is changing here. If you want to see Vijay Varma look cool in 60s collars while the plot meanders, then maybe, just maybe, give it a watch. But overall, this is a missed opportunity!

The Hollywood Reporter India: Along the way, there are glimpses of the intellect buried within the algorithm. A few supporting characters reveal a more contemporary picture of a society that creates and mythologises a Brij Bhatti. Like the sincere reporter whose pitches are consistently rejected by an editor who’s afraid to offend higher powers; he is introduced as an obstacle in Bhatti’s rise until he, too, finds himself on the same page of victimhood. Or like the painfully honest cop who gets disillusioned for not being allowed to do his job. Or like Bhatti’s right-hand man, who slowly loses confidence in his friend for overlooking his needs. Or like the family members who pay the price for being related to a kingpin. Or even the subplot of Bhatti befriending a Muslim superstar and producing a film called Bharat Ka Beta to perhaps prove his patriotism to the government. These are peripheral threads, but they’re proof that the series is aware of where the priorities of the camera and by extension, the system - lie.

The Hindu: There are passages where Manjule over-romanticises Brij’s honesty and focuses a bit too much on the process of how the game operates without sufficiently showing the human wreckage, such as families destroyed by addiction and ruined betters. There are passages that give an impression of glorifying a gambling baron under a progressive veneer, but in the end, it turns out to be a safe bet.

Watch ‘Matka King’ Season 1 Trailer:

Final Verdict

Matka King Season 1 is an engaging but flawed period drama. Strong performances, especially by Vijay Varma, and an intriguing premise keep you hooked, but uneven execution prevents it from reaching its full potential. It’s worth a watch particularly for fans of crime dramas and character-driven stories but don’t expect a groundbreaking experience.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 17, 2026 12:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).