Following his stint in Dahaad, Vijay Varma is set to collaborate once again with Prime Video for Matka King, an upcoming series helmed by Nagraj Manjule, renowned for his work in Sairat. The announcement of the show took place on Tuesday at the Prime Video Presents event, with filmmaker Karan Johar and Aparna Purohit, head of India Originals, India and Southeast Asia, Prime Video, unveiling the project.
Johar inquired of Varma, who portrayed a serial killer in Dahaad, whether there existed a clandestine technique for executing exceptional grey characters, perhaps a clandestine acting academy. Varma, an alumnus of FTII, responded that although he had undergone formal training in acting, his true education came from practical experience.
“I gleaned insights from the luminaries who preceded me, such as Dilip Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Salman Khan. I resonate with the sentiment expressed by Javier Bardem, ‘I place my faith not in a divine entity, but in Al Pacino,'” shared the actor.
As per the streaming platform, Matka King, set in the 1960s, chronicles the journey of an enterprising cotton merchant in Mumbai who pioneers a novel form of gambling known as Matka, revolutionizing a domain hitherto dominated by the affluent and privileged. Manjule, the creative force behind the series, has collaborated with Abhay Koranne in penning its narrative.
Backing Matka King are Roy Kapur Films, Aatpat, and SMR Productions. Siddharth Roy Kapur of Roy Kapur Films expressed admiration for Prime Video’s content portfolio and expressed eagerness for this partnership.
“It is indeed gratifying to embark on this inaugural collaboration (with Nagraj). Ever since I witnessed ‘Sairat,’ I have been captivated by his artistry. The inclusion of Vijay in the titular role of Matka King never fails to generate anticipation among audiences. Furthermore, the opportunity to collaborate with Abhay, the architect of a stellar screenplay, is a culmination of fortuitous circumstances,” remarked Kapur.
