If you love crime dramas rooted in real history, Matka King is your next binge. Directed by the legendary Nagraj Manjule (the man behind Sairat and Fandry), this series takes you straight into the underbelly of 1960s Bombay — where one desperate man’s gamble changed an entire city forever.
Overview
Matka King is an Indian television series set to be released in 2026 in Hindi language on Amazon Prime Video. The series features Vijay Varma in the main role alongside Kritika Kamra, Sai Tamhankar, Gulshan Grover, Girish Kulkarni, and Siddharth Jadhav. The series draws its inspiration from the famous gambling game ‘Matka’ which took India by storm during the 60s and 70s in Mumbai, where the lead character is based on Ratan Khatri, the ‘Matka King’.
Basic Details
- Title: Matka King
- Genre: Crime | Drama | Thriller
- Language: Hindi
- Release Date: April 17, 2026
- Platform: Amazon prime
- Episodes: 8
- Runtime: Around 40–50 minutes per episode
- IMBD Rating: 7.4/10
Plot Summary
Set in Bombay during the 1960s, “Matka King” narrates the story of Brij Bhatti (Vijay Varma), a cotton exchange worker burdened by debts, married to a woman who is pregnant and a brother without any prospects in life. After a fight with his employer Lalji Bhai, Brij decides to take a risk and converts a rare practice of betting into a gambling game known as “Matka” which is simple enough for even the common man to play and lucrative enough to earn Brij a lot of money. As Matka becomes popular across the mill lands of Bombay and beyond, Brij rises from a struggling trader to an underworld don and attracts the notice of a dogged journalist, an investigating police inspector, and a state minister intent on bringing him down from the outside, but ambition, ego, and betrayal begin to break up his empire from the inside. Brij’s wife (Sai Tamhankar) struggles to establish herself independently, his Parsi paramour (Kritika Kamra) lures him into the world of Bombay’s elites, and his trusted right-hand man (Siddharth Jadhav) gets sucked into the maelstrom as the noose tightens around him.
Why to Watch
- Vijay Varma’s performance – He anchors the show with real gravitas, making Brij’s rise and moral compromises feel grounded rather than cartoonish.
- A richly recreated 1960s–70s Bombay – The period detail, especially around Sindhi refugee culture and the mill-worker economy, gives the show a distinct texture missing from most crime dramas.
- Strong supporting cast – Sai Tamhankar, Kritika Kamra, Siddharth Jadhav, and Girish Kulkarni all bring depth to characters who could have easily been reduced to stereotypes.
- A genuinely interesting slice of history – The show is loosely inspired by real-life Matka pioneer Ratan Khatri, offering a window into an underground economy most viewers know little about.
Recommendation: If You Liked This, Watch These
- Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story – The gold standard of the genre and the show Matka King is most often compared to; charts a stockbroker’s meteoric rise and fall in 1990s Bombay.
- Jubilee – A sprawling period drama about ambition and reinvention in the golden age of Bombay cinema.
- Taj Mahal 1989 – A gentler, character-driven period ensemble piece set in a different decade of India.
- Mirzapur – A grittier, more violent take on empire-building and family power struggles (also stars Vijay Varma).
Conclusion
Even though “Matka King” might not be one of the most innovative contributions to the world of crime-drama, it’s okay as the show has everything to entertain you. Featuring Vijay Varma’s brilliant acting performance as the lead character in conjunction with an interesting backdrop not common in any TV drama, “Matka King” is indeed a risk worth taking especially after announcing Season 2.