Matka is a biopic on Ratan Khetri

Varun Tej’s upcoming film, Matka, under director Karuna Kumar, has been in the news for its interesting title. We learn that it is based on the life of Ratan Khetri, who was called ‘Matka King’ because of the betting system he pioneered.

Khetri is credited with transforming ‘Matka’ (a form of gambling in India that originated in Mumbai in 1962) into India’s biggest betting game and establishing a nation-wide gambling network that lasted for decades under his control.

“Varun likes to constantly reinvent himself and present himself in new ways to audiences. When he heard the story of Ratan Khetri and his betting activities, he felt there was a lot of drama that could be shown on screen. It’s a new role for him, and he loved the way his character has been designed,” says a source, adding that the multiple shades in his character were the clincher.

Khatri came to Mumbai from Karachi, Pakistan, as a teenager during the 1947 partition. He passed away in Mumbai in 2020 after a prolonged illness, aged 88.

“The story has been fictionalised, and director Karuna Kumar has taken cinematic liberties to present it in an engaging way. The film will show Varun Tej in various costumes,” adds the source. Varun has completed a couple of schedules of shooting for the film and is preparing for the next one.