Matka Movie Review: Varun Tej anchors a meandering film that says a lot but conveys little

At its barebone level, Matka might just be another tale of a boy wanting to rule the world, and going on to do the same. But the film faces the problem of telling too many things in too little time, and suffers from a lack of tension or stakes or any emotional connection whatsoever. For the unversed, Matka is based on the infamous matka gambling that was considered to be quite the big menace for the Indian government. Keeping this as the base, director Karuna Kumar weaves a tale of a rags-to-riches story of a boy who does anything and everything to be a rich man and command respect among his peers. Now, we have seen multiple iterations of this story, but what really is the clincher of Matka is the titular gambling game. So, it comes as a surprise that Karuna Kumar brings this so late into the film that he doesn’t really explores the depths and facets of this national-level addiction. 

Even last week, through Lucky Baskhar, we saw how money drives everything in a country like India where the wealth disparity is nauseatingly alarming. Of course, Matka isn’t made out of the same mould of the Dulquer Salmaan film, but there is a definite hangover considering both are set in a bygone era and deals with scams and the like. Matka, which spans from the 50s to 80s, features Varun as Vasu, a go-getter, a fighter, and someone who has an insane moustache game. He also has the chance to channelise his inner Nayakan and spout dialogues from the Kamal Haasan-Mani Ratnam film. There is also one other Nayakan reference that had me smiling at the beauty of its usage.

The film begins with a cop, Naveen Chandra, waiting for a particular message to be relayed. The voice on the other end says, “Ambattur Industrial Estate” and the cops get in the car and start travelling. One of them asks Naveen Chandra, “It will take us one hour to reach the place… why don’t you tell us about the ‘whale’ we are going to catch.” And thus begins the flashback into what made Vasu the centre of a nationwide financial crime. 

From here, we see the rise and rise of Vasu, which is burdened by the problem of being convenient and repetitive. But there are also moments of writing flourishes that help us understand the protagonist even better. He enters juvenile prison, finds himself at the mercy of a ruthless jailer, who suddenly decides he is the best person for his underground fighting ring. This practice of hand-to-hand combat during his time in the prison makes us believe when he single-handedly punches people to pulp later. On the other end, certain moments are so rushed that we aren’t even sure what exactly transpired. Why did Nani Babu (Kishore) suddenly listen to two random people and come to the rescue of a beaten and battered Vasu? Why does the dethroned gangster KB (John Vijay) go into hiding and stay there for so long only to return at the most convenient moment for the writers? 

Some characters are introduced randomly, there are a few scenes were we briefly acquaint ourselves with them, and bam! They are soon forgotten for long stretches of time. This includes important people like Vasu’s wife Sujatha (Meenakshi Chaudhary), and his foster brother. Meenakshi is underserved by a character that starts off with a lot of promise but whimpers out soon. There is a montage sequence to show us how they fell in love, but it comes so late into the film that a particular sentimental scene doesn’t carry the same weight. And then, there is a scene where she confronts her husband about his nefarious activities. She walks down a staircase of a palatial bungalow with gun-wielding security, adorning an expensive necklace round her neck, and talks to Vasu about the ill-effects of his ‘matka’ game. Now, come on! It is clear you are reaping the benefits. So, why develop a convenient conscience, which once again, goes nowhere. Matka is burdened with these incoherent writing choices that doesn’t allow us to fully invest in the life of Vasu. 

And the cardinal sin of them all? The film forgets that it is titled Matka, and doesn’t really do anything to make us believe that we are entering a world of gambling that made people of all classes addicted to it. We are told about how Vasu and Co developed ingenious methods to make it a phenomenon. But we are never wowed by it because it is so rushed. The narration about the game is so superficial that we genuinely aren’t addicted to it. The investigation into these crimes are so pedestrian that there is no zing in the cat-and-mouse chase. With both the matka ring and investigation coming a cropper, we are only left with character studies, and there is just one man at the centre of it all. 

Matka is of Vasu, for Vasu, and about Vasu. There is not a single character that is allowed breathing space to make us feel a thing, except Nora Fatehi’s Sophia. She gets a half-decent role that she does full justice to. However, the predictability of her arc is so obvious that it should have been left in the 80s where the film is set in. Varun Tej is quite convincing as Vasu, and he shoulders the entire film. Of course, he is aided in this endeavour by GV Prakash Kumar, who is having quite a run in 2024. There are some beautiful songs that are placed just right, and he gives the required adrenaline-pumping music during the one too many fight sequences. But it is also coercive at times when the writing isn’t backing the emotional tunes. The film also tries its best to remain authentic to the time period, and it is reflected in the kind of sets and costumes. It is impressive how, on this front, Telugu cinema seems to have cracked the code. But it is too focussed on just Vasu that we are left with a sense of repetitiveness because the character is flamboyant but not unique. Even the best of Varun Tej’s efforts isn’t enough to shake off the feeling of nostalgia creeping in.   

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Between all these issues, the film works in moments where we understand Vasu a bit more. The pre-interval and climactic stretch showcase his unbridled rage. It is a pity that we don’t see enough of it throughout the film. We are repeatedly told that he is one smart alec, but we don’t really see it unfold. We understand that he is bad, evil, opportunistic, faithful, and vengeful. But there is a lot more tell than show. We understand that he isn’t a good man, but his evilness never really comes through fully till the post-climactic revelation about his machinations. It is a throwaway line that skilfully blurs reel and real. It is such touches that would have made Matka a more convincing film about guns, girls, and gambling. However, the decision to rein in the madness and chaos ends up making Matka a dull game show, albeit with an enterprising host.

Matka Movie Director: Karuna Kumar 

Matka Movie Cast: Varun Tej, Naveen Chandra, Kishore, Meenakshi Chaudhary 

Matka Movie Rating: 2.5 / 5