Matka

Matka is a 2024 Indian Telugu-language period action thriller written and directed by Karuna Kumar and produced by Vijender Reddy Teegala and Rajani Talluri under Vyra Entertainments and SRT Entertainments. It stars Varun Tej, Meenakshi Chaudhary and Nora Fatehi, in her Telugu debut. It is based on the life of the Matka gambler Ratan Khetri. Released on 14 November 2024, it was heavily panned and, according to the source, underperformed at the box office.

Story

Set in Visakhapatnam between 1934 and 1988 and drawing on real events, the film follows Vasu, a young man drawn into the Matka gambling trade and a world of crime, deceit and betrayal. He rises to become a gangster, is betrayed by his closest aides, and fights to win back his position.

Filming

Varun Tej’s 14th film, first known as VT14, held its muhurat shot in Hyderabad on 27 July 2023. The launch was attended by Allu Aravind, Dil Raju, Harish Shankar and Maruthi. Principal photography began on 14 December 2023. A large action sequence was filmed in Kakinada in August 2024, and the final schedule took place at Ramoji Film City.

Music and marketing

G. V. Prakash Kumar composed the score and most of the songs, with one song by Bhavani Rakesh, and Aditya Music acquired the audio rights. The singles “Le Le Raja” and “Thassadiyya” came out in October 2024. A glimpse was released on Varun Tej’s birthday in January 2024, and the teaser was launched at a theatre in Vijayawada on 5 October 2024.

Release

The film was released in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam on 14 November 2024. It began streaming on Amazon Prime Video on 5 December 2024.

Reception

Critics faulted the narration, direction, length and screenplay. The Hindu found the writing flat and clichéd despite a promising premise, though it praised Varun Tej, Meenakshi Chaudhary and the film’s atmosphere. Deccan Chronicle gave it one out of five, citing the screenplay, pacing and hero-centric writing.

Sources: Wikipedia and Wikidata.