Actor Vijay Varma, who plays Brij Bhatti in the upcoming Amazon Prime Video series Matka King, recently spoke about the striking parallels between his own life and that of his character. During the trailer launch, Varma revealed how Brij’s journey of ambition, resilience, and dreaming big resonates deeply with him.
“So, Brij Bhatti came to Bombay from Sindh during the Partition—or perhaps just after it—at the age of seven or eight. He was accompanied by a younger brother, who was about three or four years his junior. Upon arriving here, they began living on the streets; gradually, little by little, he started piecing his life together—scrounging for food, hunting for work, taking up odd jobs here and there,” Varma explained, highlighting the hardships that shaped Brij into the ambitious man viewers meet on screen.
Varma continued, “When we meet Brij in the show, he is already married. His wife is expecting a child. He has a home. Things are reasonably stable; he holds a job as a manager. However, he is not allowed to dream. The morality of a middle-class man differs from that of a wealthy man, just as it differs from that of a poor man. Brij wants to challenge this notion. He wants to ask: if a man of means is permitted to dream, why shouldn't a man like him be allowed to do the same? If a wealthy man can gamble with his destiny, why can't he? Thus, his entire quest revolves around discovering why he is not permitted to dream—and he aspires to dream big—a desire that bears a striking resemblance to the life I myself have lived.”
Helmed by acclaimed filmmaker Nagraj Manjule, Matka King also stars Kritika Kamra, Sai Tamhankar, Gulshan Grover, and Bhupendra Jadawat. The narrative, inspired by legendary matka king Ratan Khatri, delves into both the allure and perils of gambling in 1960s Bombay. With each character carefully crafted, the series promises a mix of tension, humor, and unpredictability that keeps viewers hooked.
Produced by Siddharth Roy Kapur, Nagraj Popatrao Manjule, Gargi Kulkarni, Ashwini Sidwani, and Ashish Aryan, Matka King marries cinematic scale with intimate storytelling. Premiering on April 17, 2026, audiences are in for a gripping, stylish, and thoroughly entertaining dive into one of Mumbai’s most fascinating and forgotten chapters.