Nagraj Manjule Reveals How He Perfectly Recreated the 1960s for ‘Matka King’

National award winner Nagraj Manjule talks about the elements that he pieced together in bringing audiences an authentic, high-stakes look at ambition, gambling, and power in mid-century Bombay through Matka King. 

 

Nagraj Manjule along with entire cast and team graced the trailer launch of Matka King in Mumbai. During  the trailer launch, when asked Nagraj what were the elements that he knew he had to get right from the very start. He said, "Look, this story is set in a specific era, and I believe that any character is, in essence, a product of their time—a creation of that specific period. When we write a character or craft a story, the element of time plays a crucial role; it is that era that shapes every single aspect of the narrative.”

“Therefore, recreating the world of the 1960s wasn't really a difficult task. It was a collective effort—from production design to costumes, makeup, and every other department—everyone involved—the actors, the writers—came together to build this world. So, it wasn't particularly difficult. The key was to think through it clearly, and—most importantly—to define the specific character you wanted to portray. Once that foundation was laid, the world naturally began to take shape around them" added Manjule. 

 

The series tells the story of Brij Bhatti, played by Vijay Varma, an ambitious cotton trader who rises to power by building a vast betting (matka) empire in 1960s Bombay. The series also stars Kritika Kamra, Sai Tamhankar, Gulshan Grover, and Bhupendra Jadawat, bringing a mix of grit and intensity to this high-stakes story.

 

Produced by Siddharth Roy Kapur (Roy Kapur Films), Nagraj Popatrao Manjule (Aatpat), Gargi Kulkarni, Ashwini Sidwani, and Ashish Aryan (SMR Productions), the series is set to stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video India starting April 17, 2026.