Matka is Varun Tej’s new film that has been directed by Karuna Kumar of Palasa fame. The period drama has been released with yet another biggie titled Kanguva featuring Suriya. Read our review to find out if Varun Tej scored a hit or not.
Story: Vasu(Varun Tej) is a refugee from Burma. He takes on the crime world and becomes a don in Vizag. This is also the time when he comes to know about an illegal game called Matka and introduces it to the people of Vizag. He becomes a Matka king. But lesser does he know that his wife(Meenakshi Chaudhary) and a dreaded cop(Naveen Chandra) will go against him. How he saved himself is the story of the film.
Performances: Varun Tej portrays a character that allows him to explore a variety of emotional layers and adopt several distinct looks that reflect different stages of life. His commitment to the role is evident from the beginning, and he gives it his all without question. Near the end, there’s a touching scene where his character shares his story with a child, which stands out positively. Meenakshi Chaudhary, meanwhile, has a minimal role as the female lead, with little scope to make an impression. Naveen Chandra hardly has anything to do in the film. Ajay Ghosh is just about okay in his role.
Technical Aspects: GV Prakash’s songs fall short in this film, made worse by their placement, which interrupts the narrative flow and feels like unnecessary detours. The frequent musical interruptions, especially toward the end, can test the audience’s patience. While the background score is relatively better, it only works in certain moments. The cinematography stands out, capturing the vintage essence of the past. The pacing feels overly drawn-out all this is because of the dull editing. Vyra Entertainments and SRT Entertainments have provided solid production values.
Analysis: Matka is a period drama directed by Karuna Kumar and is about the rise of gangsters from rags to riches. Such stories are plenty in Hindi cinema but it is first for Varun Tej. While he does well, the execution by Karun Kumar leaves a lot to be desired. The film does not have thrills that keep you on the edge of your seat.
Matkaflows at its slow speed and does not bring anything new to the table. The crime syndicate is also not handled properly in the narrative. The first half is boring and does not make any difference at all. In the second half, the director fails to build any genuine family connection, leaving the emotional impact shallow.
The scenes come across as repetitive; for instance, after an event involving Meenakshi Chaudhary’s character, a song is inserted to evoke memories of her. Such is the silliness. To add to the already dragging pace, poorly placed songs interrupt the flow, with two songs crammed into the last ten minutes, further testing the viewer’s patience. Karuna Kumar has failed with this film in a big way and that shows on screen.
Verdict: Overall, Matka has a good backdrop and great visuals but the silly execution, lack of thrills, and slow pace bore the audience. Varun Tej needs to wait for some more time to score a hit.
Bottom Line – Falters in execution
Rating: 2/5
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