'Matka' is technically proficient with special mention to the cinematography department but suffers from the regular clichés of a gangster movie. Varun Tej does his level best managing to rise above the ordinary material but it isn’t enough to salvage the movie.
A poster of the film 'Matka'. (X)
Four films old, director Karuna Kumar has created a niche with Palasa 1978 (2020) and Sridevi Soda Centre (2021). Both dealt with the themes of caste and class in a hard-hitting manner.
With Matka, the director has moved out of his usual space making a gangster movie based on a real-life Matka gambler Ratan Khetri.
The attempt to get mainstream acceptance is clearly visible. However, the movie feels like a stale leftover of other films in the same space.
The slight freshness in Matka only comes from the gambling background and the huge dent it left on the Indian economy. However, this aspect isn’t enough to save the film as the movie lacks the major highs needed for this genre.
In simple terms, the story of Matka is set in the background of Visakhapatnam between 1958 and 1962. It traces the journey of Varun Tej’s Vasu, coming to the city as a refugee and how the tough circumstances shaped his journey as a gambler and gangster.
One of the very few positive aspects of Matka is the recreation of the bygone era. Cinematographer A Kishore Kumar does a wonderful job of capturing both the retro vibe and also the various timelines through his lens. Special mention must be made of the scenes in the market yard.
‘Matka’ is written and directed by Karuna Kumar. (Instagram)
The first half is mostly a slog given the predictable scenarios and not much effort being made in showcasing the graph of the protagonist. It is just a series of moments to establish Vasu’s heroism. At regular intervals, slides flash indicating a change in the passage of time but this technique comes across as superficial trying to hide the lack of depth.
The movie only gets interesting when it showcases the network of Matka gambling. How much money was made out of this and the consequences of this dangerous game engage the audiences for a while. The addiction of people towards gambling though set in 60’s feels contemporary.
The CBI investigation headed by an earnest Naveen Chandra has its moments too. But this also doesn’t last for long as the movie gets back to being a formulaic fare.
The love story between Varun Tej’s Vasu and Meenakshi Chaudhary’s Sujatha should have been the emotional backbone of the movie; unfortunately, the drab writing plays a spoilsport. There is no proper build-up to how both of them fall for each other.
As a result of this, the distance in their marriage because of Vasu’s greed doesn’t register strongly.
Varun Tej in ‘Matka’. (X)
Meenakshi Chaudhary suffers on account of a sketchy characterization after her wonderful performance in Lucky Baskhar (2024).
Varun Tej in the title role has given it his all; he does a fine job of portraying Vasu’s transition from a normal young man to a Matka king.
The role of Vasu gives Varun space to explore grey areas and he does go full throttle. But on some occasions, his gangster act feels repetitive lacking the nuances to bring out some variation.
The supporting cast comprising of Naveen Chandra, Kishore, and Satyam Rajesh are competent but none of them stand out.
GV Prakash’s music isn’t great but two songs “Le Le Raja” and “Tassadiya” are visually fine. The background music also leaves a lot to be desired.
To sum it up Matka is strictly for those who enjoy conventional gangster films.
(Views expressed here are personal, edited by Sumavarsha Kandula)
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