# Matka King

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{{short description|2026 Indian period-crime drama series}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2026}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2026}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = Matka King (TV series).jpg
| caption              = Promotional poster
| genre                = [Drama](/source/Drama_(film_and_television))
| creator              = Abhay Koranne<br />[Nagraj Popatrao Manjule](/source/Nagraj_Popatrao_Manjule)
| writer               = Abhay Koranne<br />Nagraj Popatrao Manjule
| story                = Ashish Aryan
| director             = Nagraj Popatrao Manjule
| starring             = {{Plainlist|
* [Vijay Varma](/source/Vijay_Varma)
* [Sai Tamhankar](/source/Sai_Tamhankar)
* [Bhupendra Jadawat](/source/Bhupendra_Jadawat)
* [Kritika Kamra](/source/Kritika_Kamra)
* [Gulshan Grover](/source/Gulshan_Grover)
* [Siddharth Jadhav](/source/Siddharth_Jadhav)}}
| theme_music_composer = Ajay Jayanthi
| open_theme           = Matka King - Title Theme
| end_theme            = 
| composer             = '''Songs:'''<br />[Amit Trivedi](/source/Amit_Trivedi)<br />B Prasanna<br />Parag Chabbra<br />'''Score:'''<br />Ketan Sodha
| country              = India
| language             = Hindi
| num_seasons          = 1
| num_episodes         = 8
| list_episodes        = 
| executive_producer   = Rahul Gandhi <br /> Ashwini Sidwani
| producer             = {{ubl | [Siddharth Roy Kapur](/source/Siddharth_Roy_Kapur) | Nagraj Popatrao Manjule | Gargi Kulkarni | Ashwini Sidwani | Ashish Aryan}}
| cinematography       = [Sudhakar Reddy Yakkanti](/source/Sudhakar_Reddy_Yakkanti)
| editor               = [Nitin Baid](/source/Nitin_Baid)
| runtime              = 43{{ndash}}62 minutes
| company              = [Roy Kapur Films](/source/Roy_Kapur_Films)<br>Aatpat Entertainment<br>SMR Entertainment
| network              = [Amazon Prime Video](/source/Amazon_Prime_Video)
| first_aired          = {{Start date|df=y|2026|04|17}}
| last_aired           = present
}}

'''''Matka King''''' is a 2026 Indian [Hindi](/source/Hindi)-language [period](/source/Period_film) [crime drama](/source/crime_drama) television series created by [Nagraj Popatrao Manjule](/source/Nagraj_Popatrao_Manjule) and Abhay Koranne based on the story concept by Ashish Aryan for [Amazon Prime Video](/source/Amazon_Prime_Video). It stars [Vijay Varma](/source/Vijay_Varma), [Sai Tamhankar](/source/Sai_Tamhankar), [Bhupendra Jadawat](/source/Bhupendra_Jadawat), [Kritika Kamra](/source/Kritika_Kamra), [Gulshan Grover](/source/Gulshan_Grover) and [Siddharth Jadhav](/source/Siddharth_Jadhav) in lead roles.<ref>{{cite web |title=Matka King |url=https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/matka-king-web-series-124862 |website=[GAdget 360](/source/NDTV) |access-date=18 April 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Mitra |first1=Shilajit |title=How A 'Matka King' Was Born: Vijay Varma, Nagraj Manjule on Their Gambling Series |url=https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/features/interviews/how-a-matka-king-was-born-vijay-varma-nagraj-manjule-on-their-gambling-series |access-date=19 April 2026 |work=[The Hollywood Reporter India](/source/The_Hollywood_Reporter) |date=15 April 2026 |language=en}}</ref> Set in the 1960s [Mumbai](/source/Mumbai), the series traces the transformation of a humble, enterprising cotton trader into a powerful gambling don as he starts a new game called [Matka](/source/Matka_gambling), that takes the city by storm and democratizes a terrain previously reserved for the rich and elite.

The series is renewed for a second season by [Amazon Prime Video](/source/Amazon_Prime_Video) which is in development.<ref>{{Cite web |date=6 May 2026 |last=Whittock |first=Jesse |title='Matka King': Prime Video Crowns Second Season Of Crime Drama Set In 1960s India |url=https://deadline.com/2026/05/matka-king-prime-video-season-2-india-1236882674/ |website=[Deadline Hollywood](/source/Deadline_Hollywood) |access-date=9 May 2026}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=7 May 2026 |title=Vijay Varma's 'Matka King' set to return with season 2 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/news/hindi/vijay-varmas-matka-king-set-to-return-with-season-2/articleshow/130894116.cms |website=[The Times of India](/source/The_Times_of_India) |access-date=9 May 2026}}</ref>

== Premise ==
Matka King is a gripping crime drama set in the 1960s Mumbai. The series builds its world around a modest cotton trader, Brij Bhatti, who, starts an illegal "Matka" betting game, showing how a small, almost harmless gambling idea gradually evolves into a massive underground empire that is controlled by money, politics, and fear.

At its core, the show is less about gambling and more about ambition. It explores how greed reshapes a man's morals as he climbs from poverty to power, and how that power slowly begins to destroy everything around him. Vijay Varma delivers a strong and controlled performance, carrying the emotional weight of a man who is both intelligent and deeply flawed.

== Cast ==
* [Vijay Varma](/source/Vijay_Varma) as Brij Bhatti "Matka King"
* [Sai Tamhankar](/source/Sai_Tamhankar) as Barkha Bhatti, Brij's wife
* [Bhupendra Jadawat](/source/Bhupendra_Jadawat) as Laxman "Lachu" Bhatti, Brij's brother
* [Kritika Kamra](/source/Kritika_Kamra) as Gulrukh
* [Gulshan Grover](/source/Gulshan_Grover) as Laljibhai Chaggani
* [Siddharth Jadhav](/source/Siddharth_Jadhav) as Dagdu Vichare
* [Jamie Lever](/source/Jamie_Lever) as Sulbha
* [Bharat Jadhav](/source/Bharat_Jadhav) as [Sub Inspector](/source/Sub-inspector) Eknath Tumbade
* [Girish Kulkarni](/source/Girish_Kulkarni) as TP D'Souza
* [Kishor Kadam](/source/Kishor_Kadam) as Minister Prashant Bapat
* Ridan Shah as Anmol Bhatti, Brij's son
* Arpita Sethia as Rukmani
* [Cyrus Sahukar](/source/Cyrus_Sahukar) as Maqsood
* [Ishtiyak Khan](/source/Ishtiyak_Khan)
* Simran Ashwini as Vasudha, Lalji's daughter
* Samir Trimbakkar as [DCP](/source/Deputy_Commissioner_of_Police_(India)) MK Sharma
* Sanjeev Jogtiyani as Editor-in-Chief
* Tanaji Galgunde as Raftaar
* [Vineet Kumar Singh](/source/Vineet_Kumar_Singh) as [Darab Ahmed Wadkar](/source/Dawood_Ibrahim) (special appearance)<ref>{{cite web |access-date=19 April 2026 |title=O'Romeo, Dhurandhar The Revenge, Matka King: How ‘Bade Sahab’ returned in 3 different avatars in 3 consecutive months |url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/features/oromeo-dhurandhar-the-revenge-matka-king-how-bade-sahab-returned-in-3-different-avatars-in-3-consecutive-months/ |website=Bollywood Hungama}}</ref>

== Episodes ==
{{Episode table |background=#A42C17 |overall= |title= |director= |writer= |airdate= |episodes=
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber       = 1
| Title               = Taqdeer, Tadbeer, Tarkeeb!
| DirectedBy          = [Nagraj Popatrao Manjule](/source/Nagraj_Popatrao_Manjule)
| WrittenBy           = Abhay Koranne, Nagraj Popatrao Manjule
| OriginalAirDate     = {{Start date|2026|4|17|df=y}}
| ShortSummary        = <!-- Don't add copyrighted text, e.g. from the show's website -->
| LineColor           = A42C17
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber       = 2
| Title               = Umeed Ka Karkhana
| DirectedBy          = Nagraj Popatrao Manjule
| WrittenBy           = Abhay Koranne, Nagraj Popatrao Manjule
| OriginalAirDate     = {{Start date|2026|4|17|df=y}}
| ShortSummary        = 
| LineColor           = A42C17
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber       = 3
| Title               = Izzat Half, Sangam Full
| DirectedBy          = Nagraj Popatrao Manjule
| WrittenBy           = Abhay Koranne, Nagraj Popatrao Manjule
| OriginalAirDate     = {{Start date|2026|4|17|df=y}}
| ShortSummary        = 
| LineColor           = A42C17
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber       = 4
| Title               = Tera Pyaar Triple Paana, Mera Pyaar Kabootar Daana
| DirectedBy          = Nagraj Popatrao Manjule
| WrittenBy           = Abhay Koranne, Nagraj Popatrao Manjule
| OriginalAirDate     = {{Start date|2026|4|17|df=y}}
| ShortSummary        = 
| LineColor           = A42C17
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber       = 5
| Title               = Safed Kapde, Kaale Dil
| DirectedBy          = Nagraj Popatrao Manjule
| WrittenBy           = Abhay Koranne, Nagraj Popatrao Manjule
| OriginalAirDate     = {{Start date|2026|4|17|df=y}}
| ShortSummary        = 
| LineColor           = A42C17
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber       = 6
| Title               = Lights, Camera, Jodi
| DirectedBy          = Nagraj Popatrao Manjule
| WrittenBy           = Abhay Koranne, Nagraj Popatrao Manjule
| OriginalAirDate     = {{Start date|2026|4|17|df=y}}
| ShortSummary        = 
| LineColor           = A42C17
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber       = 7
| Title               = Do Ikke, Ek Gulaam
| DirectedBy          = Nagraj Popatrao Manjule
| WrittenBy           = Abhay Koranne, Nagraj Popatrao Manjule
| OriginalAirDate     = {{Start date|2026|4|17|df=y}}
| ShortSummary        = 
| LineColor           = A42C17
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber       = 8
| Title               = Open Aur Close
| DirectedBy          = Nagraj Popatrao Manjule
| WrittenBy           = Abhay Koranne, Nagraj Popatrao Manjule
| OriginalAirDate     = {{Start date|2026|4|17|df=y}}
| ShortSummary        = 
| LineColor           = A42C17
}}
}}

== Soundtrack ==
{{Infobox album
| name       = Matka King
| type       = soundtrack
| artist     = 
| released   = {{start date|2026|4|10|df=y}}
| studio     = 
| genre      = [Television soundtrack](/source/Television_soundtrack)
| length     = {{Duration|m=18|s=23}}
| language   = Hindi
| label      = [Sony Music India](/source/Sony_Music_India)
| producer   = 
| misc         = {{external music video |type = soundtrack |header = Official audio 
| {{Youtube|-f5wnnDcqGw|Matka King (Jukebox)}}
}}
}}

{{Track listing
| headline      = Track listing
| extra_column  = Singer(s)
| total_length  = 18:14
| title1        = Hoga Savera - Retro
| lyrics1       = [Kumaar](/source/Kumaar), Shantanu Raina
| music1        = [Amit Trivedi](/source/Amit_Trivedi)
| extra1        = Simran Choudhary, Shantanu Raina
| length1       = 2:51
| title2        = Raasta
| lyrics2       = Abhay Koranne, Parag Chhabra
| music2        = Vineeth Jayan, Mayank Choudhary, Parag Chhabra
| extra2        = Yashika Sikka, Parag Chhabra
| length2       = 3:40
| title3        = Dhaaga Dhaaga
| lyrics3       = Arushi Kaushal
| music3        = B Prasanna
| extra3        = Keerthana Vaidyanathan
| length3       = 3:00
| title4        = Bhaga Re
| lyrics4       = Kumaar
| music4        = Amit Trivedi, Vaibhav Pani
| extra4        = Amit Trivedi, Jyotsana Vaidya
| length4       = 4:48
| title5        = Hoga Savera - Modern
| lyrics5       = Kumaar, Shantanu Raina
| music5        = Amit Trivedi
| extra5        = Simran Choudhary; Shantanu Raina
| length5       = 2:51
| title6        = Matka King - Title Theme
| lyrics6       = Instrumental
| music6        = Ajay Jayanthi
| extra6        = Instrumental
| length6       = 1:04
}}

== Release ==
''Matka King'' began streaming on [Amazon Prime Video](/source/Amazon_Prime_Video) from 17 April 2026.<ref>{{cite news |title=‘Matka King’: Vijay Varma’s Prime Video series gets a release date; teaser out |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/matka-king-vijay-varmas-prime-video-series-gets-a-release-date-teaser-out/article70798951.ece |url-access=subscription |access-date=19 April 2026 |work=[The Hindu](/source/The_Hindu) |date=29 March 2026 |language=en-IN}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Raghav |first1=Vanshika |title=New Friday OTT Releases (April 17, 2026): Matka King, Assi, Roommates- Watch these 5 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video, JioHotstar and more |url=https://www.wionews.com/photos/new-friday-ott-releases-april-17-2026-matka-king-assi-roommates-watch-these-5-movies-and-tv-shows-on-netflix-prime-video-jiohotstar-and-more-1776342036895 |access-date=19 April 2026 |work=[WION](/source/WION) |date=17 April 2026 |language=en}}</ref>

== Reception ==
Anuj Kumar for ''[The Hindu](/source/The_Hindu)'' wrote "‘Matka King’ turns out to be a familiar but gripping crime drama that is worth betting on."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kumar |first1=Anuj |title=‘Matka King’ series review: A cautionary tale on the cost of ambition that pays rich dividends |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/matka-king-series-review-vijay-varma-nagraj-manjule-prime-video-sai-tamhankar/article70872309.ece |url-access=subscription |access-date=19 April 2026 |work=[The Hindu](/source/The_Hindu) |date=17 April 2026 |language=en-IN}}</ref>

[Shubhra Gupta](/source/Shubhra_Gupta) for ''[The Indian Express](/source/The_Indian_Express)'' rated the series 2/5 stars and stated "the matka-addicted mill-workers and their unions whose movement kept Bombay's greedy sharks at bay, remain a scratchy backdrop."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gupta |first1=Shubhra |author1-link=Shubhra Gupta |title=Matka King review: Vijay Varma show lacks zest and sharpness |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/web-series/matka-king-review-vijay-varma-show-lacks-zest-and-sharpness-10641385/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=19 April 2026 |work=[The Indian Express](/source/The_Indian_Express) |date=17 April 2026 |language=en}}{{rating|2|5}}</ref>

Rahul Desai for ''[The Hollywood Reporter India](/source/The_Hollywood_Reporter)'' wrote "Along the way, there are glimpses of the intellect buried within the algorithm."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Desai |first1=Rahul |title=‘Matka King’ Series Review: A Gambling Drama That Takes No Risks |url=https://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/reviews/streaming/matka-king-series-review-a-gambling-drama-that-takes-no-risks |access-date=19 April 2026 |work=[The Hollywood Reporter India](/source/The_Hollywood_Reporter) |date=17 April 2026 |language=en}}</ref> 

Deepansh Duggal for ''[The Quint](/source/The_Quint)'' stated "Instead of unfolding organically, the plot feels like it is delivered in bursts, with too much information packed into too little time."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Duggal |first1=Deepansh |title=‘Matka King’ Review: A Flawed but Compelling Rise of a Gambling Don |url=https://www.thequint.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/matka-king-review-vijay-varma-amazon-prime |access-date=19 April 2026 |work=[The Quint](/source/The_Quint) |date=17 April 2026 |language=en}}{{rating|3|5}}</ref> Nandini Ramnath for ''[Scroll.in](/source/Scroll.in)'' felt that "The eight-episode show suffers from a bit of bloat and threadbare production values."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ramnath |first1=Nandini |title=‘Matka King’ review: A winning character study of an ‘honest gambler’ |url=https://scroll.in/reel/1092069/matka-king-review-a-winning-character-study-of-an-honest-gambler |access-date=19 April 2026 |work=[Scroll.in](/source/Scroll.in) |date=17 April 2026 |language=en}}</ref> Sana Farzeen of ''[India Today](/source/India_Today)'' rated the series 3/5 stars and stated "At eight episodes, it feels indulgent."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Farzeen |first1=Sana |title=Matka King review: Vijay Varma wins big, but the series misses the jackpot |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/entertainment/ott/story/matka-king-review-vijay-varma-kritika-kamra-gulshan-grover-siddharth-jadhav-jamie-lever-sai-tamhankar-2897474-2026-04-17 |access-date=19 April 2026 |work=[India Today](/source/India_Today) |date=17 April 2026 |language=en}}{{rating|3|5}}</ref> 

Tatsam Mukherjee of ''[The Wire](/source/The_Wire_(India))'' expressed "No man-woman pair in the show can do so without falling in love, which I found too escapist and dated."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mukherjee |first1=Tatsam |title=‘Matka King’: Nagraj Manjule’s Series Repeats Genre Beats, Falls into Familiar Traps |url=https://thewire.in/film/matka-king-nagraj-manjules-series-repeats-genre-beats-amazon-prime-video-vijay-varma-review |access-date=19 April 2026 |work=[The Wire](/source/The_Wire_(India)) |date=17 April 2026 |language=en}}</ref> Hardika Gupta from ''[NDTV](/source/NDTV)'' rated the series 2 out of 5 stars and stated "The result is a story that moves, but rarely surprises; that speaks, but rarely resonates."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gupta |first1=Hardika |title=Matka King Review: Vijay Varma Plays A Strong Hand In A Losing Game |url=https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/matka-king-review-vijay-varma-plays-a-strong-hand-in-a-losing-game-2-stars-11381812 |access-date=25 April 2026 |work=[NDTV](/source/NDTV) |date=20 April 2026}}{{rating|2|5}}</ref> A reviewer from ''[Amar Ujala](/source/Amar_Ujala)'' rated the series 2.5/5.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jain |first1=Kiran Vinod Kumar |title=Matka King Review: बड़ा कैनवास, विजय वर्मा और 1960 का दौर; जानें ‘मटका किंग’ ने खेली कैसी बाजी? पढ़ें रिव्यू |url=https://www.amarujala.com/entertainment/movie-review/new-web-series-matka-king-review-starring-vijay-varma-gulshan-grover-kritika-kamra-sai-tamhankar-2026-04-16 |access-date=25 April 2026 |work=[Amar Ujala](/source/Amar_Ujala) |date=17 April 2026 |language=hi}}{{rating|2.5|5}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb title|16997004}}
* [https://www.primevideo.com/region/eu/detail/Matka-King/0NU8T0IBSKNM4URECC0CAKT8GZ ''Matka King''] on [Amazon Prime Video](/source/Amazon_Prime_Video)

Category:2026 Indian television series debuts
Category:Amazon Prime Video original programming

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Matka King](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matka_King) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matka_King?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.