With its unique time period & compelling story line, the trailer for Matka King streaming on Amazon Prime is sure to please audiences. It offers a glimpse into the flourishing metropolis of Bombay in the 1960’s, & follows how one man rises from obscurity (a cotton trader) to become one of the most feared gangsters & gambling kingpins of all time. Unfortunately for this intriguing inception; the trailer fails to offer much else as it lacks any type of suspense or originality, leaving viewers feeling unimpressed.

STORYLINE

The plot follows Brij Bhatti, a cotton dealer by trade, as he goes through a lifetime filled with humiliation and hardship, until he finally begins to make his mark. Once he reaches a tipping point, Brij will turn to gambling and betting in order to realise his dreams, and subsequently build his vast gambling empire known as ‘Matka King’. Although the overall premise of the storyline has definite potential, it was very rushed in the way it presented Brij’s journey to becoming the feared figure he eventually became. Brij’s transition into becoming a feared figure was devoid of emotion & nuance; and many of the critical plot points which were used to advance Brij’s transformation were glossed over, which made this storyline appear as though it was a matter of course or predictable/ formulaic.

POSITIVE POINTS

This trailer's period setting stands out as a unique feature of its value. Filmmakers attempted to recreate Bombay in the 1960's most faithfully possible, both visually and from an experiential standpoint. Attempts by Vijay Varma to establish an impressive screen presence with his image and perform a character who will potentially lead to future conflict are a demonstration of talent. The supporting cast also appears capable, leaving room for possible strong performances from some of them even with all the negatives.

NEGATIVE POINTS

The single strongest negative of the trailer is in its exaggerated dramatization. Most of the sequences were more stylized than necessary, which compromises the basis of the grittiness this type of story should portray. The plot in this trailer seemed to be rather familiar and has followed the same pattern as other shows and films about the "rise of the gangster". The trailer for Matka King appears to have a lot going on in the way of characters and side stories crammed into a trailer in a short amount of time, as such, there is a sense that there won’t be enough narrative room for the plot and thus will feel too cluttered. The lack of depth to the main character leaves me to assume that the viewer will likely not have any emotional connection to him on his quest.

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Overall: Matka King has a strong overall concept but the execution of its concepts through the trailer is not strong. The combination of potential, casting and location is not being harmoniously blended together to create an engaging experience for the viewer based on the storytelling used to create this particular series. If the series does not develop further depth or balance in its execution, it likely will do little more than be another typical crime drama within the genre of crime drama rather than stand out compared to others in this category of programming.