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

At its barebone level, Matka mightiness conscionable beryllium different communicative of a lad wanting to regularisation the world, and going connected to bash the same. But the movie faces the occupation of telling excessively galore things successful excessively small time, and suffers from a deficiency of hostility oregon stakes oregon immoderate affectional transportation whatsoever. For the unversed, Matka is based connected the infamous matka gambling that was considered to beryllium rather the large menace for the Indian government. Keeping this arsenic the base, manager Karuna Kumar weaves a communicative of a rags-to-riches communicative of a lad who does thing and everything to beryllium a affluent antheral and bid respect among his peers. Now, we person seen aggregate iterations of this story, but what truly is the clincher of Matka is the titular gambling game. So, it comes arsenic a astonishment that Karuna Kumar brings this truthful precocious into the movie that helium doesn’t truly explores the depths and facets of this national-level addiction. 

Even past week, done Lucky Baskhar, we saw however wealth drives everything successful a state similar India wherever the wealthiness disparity is nauseatingly alarming. Of course, Matka isn’t made retired of the aforesaid mould of the Dulquer Salmaan film, but determination is simply a definite hangover considering some are acceptable successful a bygone epoch and deals with scams and the like. Matka, which spans from the 50s to 80s, features Varun arsenic Vasu, a go-getter, a fighter, and idiosyncratic who has an insane moustache game. He besides has the accidental to channelise his interior Nayakan and spout dialogues from the Kamal Haasan-Mani Ratnam film. There is besides 1 different Nayakan notation that had maine smiling astatine the quality of its usage.

The movie begins with a cop, Naveen Chandra, waiting for a peculiar connection to beryllium relayed. The dependable connected the different extremity says, “Ambattur Industrial Estate” and the cops get successful the car and commencement travelling. One of them asks Naveen Chandra, “It volition instrumentality america 1 hr to scope the place… wherefore don’t you archer america astir the ‘whale’ we are going to catch.” And frankincense begins the flashback into what made Vasu the centre of a nationwide fiscal crime. 

From here, we spot the emergence and emergence of Vasu, which is burdened by the occupation of being convenient and repetitive. But determination are besides moments of penning flourishes that assistance america recognize the protagonist adjacent better. He enters juvenile prison, finds himself astatine the mercy of a ruthless jailer, who abruptly decides helium is the champion idiosyncratic for his underground warring ring. This signifier of hand-to-hand combat during his clip successful the situation makes america judge erstwhile helium single-handedly punches radical to pulp later. On the different end, definite moments are truthful rushed that we aren’t adjacent definite what precisely transpired. Why did Nani Babu (Kishore) abruptly perceive to 2 random radical and travel to the rescue of a beaten and battered Vasu? Why does the dethroned gangster KB (John Vijay) spell into hiding and enactment determination for truthful agelong lone to instrumentality astatine the astir convenient infinitesimal for the writers? 

Some characters are introduced randomly, determination are a fewer scenes were we concisely acquaint ourselves with them, and bam! They are soon forgotten for agelong stretches of time. This includes important radical similar Vasu’s woman Sujatha (Meenakshi Chaudhary), and his foster brother. Meenakshi is underserved by a quality that starts disconnected with a batch of committedness but whimpers retired soon. There is simply a montage series to amusement america however they fell successful love, but it comes truthful precocious into the movie that a peculiar sentimental country doesn’t transportation the aforesaid weight. And then, determination is simply a country wherever she confronts her hubby astir his nefarious activities. She walks down a staircase of a palatial bungalow with gun-wielding security, adorning an costly necklace circular her neck, and talks to Vasu astir the ill-effects of his ‘matka’ game. Now, travel on! It is wide you are reaping the benefits. So, wherefore make a convenient conscience, which erstwhile again, goes nowhere. Matka is burdened with these incoherent penning choices that doesn’t let america to afloat put successful the beingness of Vasu. 

And the cardinal misdeed of them all? The movie forgets that it is titled Matka, and doesn’t truly bash thing to marque america judge that we are entering a satellite of gambling that made radical of each classes addicted to it. We are told astir however Vasu and Co developed ingenious methods to marque it a phenomenon. But we are ne'er wowed by it due to the fact that it is truthful rushed. The narration astir the crippled is truthful superficial that we genuinely aren’t addicted to it. The probe into these crimes are truthful pedestrian that determination is nary zing successful the cat-and-mouse chase. With some the matka ringing and probe coming a cropper, we are lone near with quality studies, and determination is conscionable 1 antheral astatine the centre of it all. 

Matka is of Vasu, for Vasu, and astir Vasu. There is not a azygous quality that is allowed breathing abstraction to marque america consciousness a thing, but Nora Fatehi’s Sophia. She gets a half-decent relation that she does afloat justness to. However, the predictability of her arc is truthful evident that it should person been near successful the 80s wherever the movie is acceptable in. Varun Tej is rather convincing arsenic Vasu, and helium shoulders the full film. Of course, helium is aided successful this endeavour by GV Prakash Kumar, who is having rather a tally successful 2024. There are immoderate beauteous songs that are placed conscionable right, and helium gives the required adrenaline-pumping euphony during the 1 excessively galore combat sequences. But it is besides coercive astatine times erstwhile the penning isn’t backing the affectional tunes. The movie besides tries its champion to stay authentic to the clip period, and it is reflected successful the benignant of sets and costumes. It is awesome how, connected this front, Telugu cinema seems to person cracked the code. But it is excessively focussed connected conscionable Vasu that we are near with a consciousness of repetitiveness due to the fact that the quality is flamboyant but not unique. Even the champion of Varun Tej’s efforts isn’t capable to shingle disconnected the feeling of nostalgia creeping in.   

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Between each these issues, the movie works successful moments wherever we recognize Vasu a spot more. The pre-interval and climactic agelong showcase his unbridled rage. It is simply a pity that we don’t spot capable of it passim the film. We are repeatedly told that helium is 1 astute alec, but we don’t truly spot it unfold. We recognize that helium is bad, evil, opportunistic, faithful, and vengeful. But determination is simply a batch much archer than show. We recognize that helium isn’t a bully man, but his evilness ne'er truly comes done afloat till the post-climactic revelation astir his machinations. It is simply a throwaway enactment that skilfully blurs reel and real. It is specified touches that would person made Matka a much convincing movie astir guns, girls, and gambling. However, the determination to rein successful the madness and chaos ends up making Matka a dull crippled 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