Vijay Varma Reveals His Hamza Connection At Matka King Launch

'When life throws a Hamza at you, make it Dhurandhar's Hamza, not Darlings' Hamza!'

Vijay Varma Exudes Swag at Matka King Launch

'The King Always Plays His Cards Right'.

That's the line that hits you first as you walk into the trailer launch of Matka King. A large poster of Vijay Varma, looking straight at you, sets the mood.

Moments later, the actor makes a dramatic entry on stage, flanked by men with matkas (pots) covering their heads.

Dressed in a crisp white kurta and Kolhapuri chappals grounding the look, Vijay owns the stage without trying too hard. After all, this is his game.

In Matka King, the actor becomes Brij Bhatti, an ordinary man chasing respect and power, who eventually becomes a gambling kingpin.

The show is helmed by Nagraj Manjule, best known for the Marathi blockbuster Sairat.

"It's been my dream to work with him (Manjule)," says Vijay. "But I was surprised why he chose me for Matka King. He doesn't need actors. If you see, his first film Fandry had non-actors. In Sairat, he launched two leads who had never acted before. In Jhund, except Mr (Amitabh) Bachchan, the rest of the cast had newcomers. I believe that non-actors have worked so well in his movies that I feared I would be exposed, aur meri acting pakdi jayegi (my acting would get caught)," says Vijay.

The actor shares that he had to "unlearn a lot" to align with Manjule's style, calling him one of the "finest" filmmakers working today.

WATCH: How Vijay Varma relate to his character in Matka King...

Matka King Promises A Gritty Crime Saga

The trailer positions Matka King as a gritty crime drama set in 1960s Bombay.

It dives into the rise of the matka empire, a form of illegal betting that once ruled the city's streets. Vijay Varma plays a hustler who rises through the ranks to become the undisputed king of this criminal network.

While early reports linked the story to Ratan Khatri, who ran a nationwide betting network between the 1960s and 1990s, Director Manjule shuts that down.

"This show is not based on anyone," he says.

"My associates Ashwini (Sidhwani, producer) and Ashish Aryan told me this is a very interesting story. I have seen people around me playing Matka while growing up. I have played Matka myself in my earlier days. I did not know the underbelly of this world back then. When I read the story, I found it fascinating and decided to make it."

Matka King brings together a strong supporting cast.

Gulshan Grover plays a grey character named Laljibhai. Sai Tamhankar steps in as Barkha, Vijay's wife, while Kritika Kamra plays the glamrous Gulrukh, a woman who has an extramarital relationship with him.

Kritika describes Gulrukh as a "privileged woman" searching for power and a sense of liberation, while Sai calls Barkha "dhamakedaar", adding that she is a woman with a "strong voice and spine".

WATCH: What attracted Kritika Kamra to Gulrukh...

The Vijay Varma-Ranveer Singh Connection

These days, no event seems complete without a nod to Dhurandhar.

When a journalist noticed the funny coincidence that Vijay Varma and his Gully Boy co-star Ranveer Singh had played characters named Hamza, Vijay couldn't help but smile.

"I guess you are referring to Hamza, the character Ranveer played in Dhurandhar, while I also played a Hamza in Darlings. It is just a coincidence and a fun piece of movie trivia now," Vijay says.

Vijay also reflects on his supporting role in Zoya Akhtar's Gully Boy, calling it a turning point in his career.

"I was really down in the dumps when that film happened for me. It saved me and gave me a career. I am very thankful to be a part of it. Ranveer is one of the finest co-actors I have worked with."

With a playful grin, he adds, "When life throws a Hamza at you, make it Dhurandhar's Hamza, not Darlings' Hamza!"

WATCH: Gulshan Grover Felt Like Al Pacino in Matka King...

Matka King is set to premiere on Amazon Prime Video on April 17.

Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff