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What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
The Amazon Prime Video web series “Matka King” is a fictional narrative based on the matka gambling phenomenon that gained fame in the 1960s.
NEW DELHI: The Amazon Prime Video web series “Matka King” is a fictional narrative based on the matka gambling phenomenon that gained fame in the 1960s. Directed by Nagraj Manjule, known for his acclaimed works like ‘Fandry’ and ‘Sairat’, the series is currently in production with a script co-written by Manjule and Abhay Koranne.
Set in the bustling 1960s Mumbai, the story revolves around an ambitious cotton trader seeking legitimacy and respect. He introduces a new gambling game called ‘Matka’, which quickly captures the city’s attention and becomes a sensation.
The series features prominent actors like Vijay Sharma known for his acclaimed works in the popular Delhi Crime & Mirzapur Web Series, Sai Tamhankar, Kritika Kamra, Siddharth Jadhav, and Gulshan Grover in pivotal roles. Produced by Siddharth Roy Kapur, Nagraj Manjule, Gargi Kulkarni, Ashwini Sidwani, and Ashish Aryan under Roy Kapur Films, “Matka King” promises an engaging and thrilling narrative.
Originally, “Matka gambling” involved betting on cotton’s opening and closing rates between the New York Cotton Exchange and the Bombay (Mumbai) Cotton Exchange. However, in the 1960s, this method was replaced by generating random numbers, such as pulling slips from the matka. Ratan Khatri, known for drawing and playing cards, gained fame in this gambling scene.
Media reports hail Ratan Khatri as a pioneer of betting in India. He hailed from a Sindhi family and moved to India from Karachi, Pakistan, during the 1947 partition. His innovative approach transformed matka gambling, originating in Bombay (Mumbai) in 1962, into a massive network that spanned decades nationwide.
Initially working for Kalyanji Bhagat, a renowned Matka King known for Worli Matka, Ratan Khatri eventually established his own venture with Ratan Matka. Rumored to have a clientele including celebrities and dignitaries worldwide, Khatri faced imprisonment during the Emergency but continued to leave a lasting legacy in the gambling world until his retirement in the early 1990s. He passed away in 2020, leaving behind a significant impact on the history of matka gambling in India.
