Mega hero Varun Tej’s eagerly awaited period action drama, Matka, has been making a lot of noise ever since the film’s power-packed teaser and trailer were released. Also starring Meenakshi Chaudhary and Nora Fatehi in lead roles, the Karuna Kumar directorial is produced on a huge scale by Rajini Talluri and Dr. Vijayender Reddy Theegala under SRT Entertainments and Vyra Entertainments banners. The film is gearing up for its theatrical release on November 14. We caught up with Varun Tej for a brief chitchat. Here are the excerpts.
How is the story of ‘Matka’ going to be?
The story is about a spirited man named Vasu. He comes to Vizag as a refugee from Burma. The film explores Vasu’s rise from rags to riches from 1958 to 82. Matka is Vasu’s life story.
Is Vasu similar to Matka King Ratan Khatri’s character?
The director thought that Ratan Khatri’s story should be adapted to Telugu nativity. Ratan Khatri hails from a Mumbai background. He came to Mumbai from Pakistan. In the times when there were no cell phones, Ratan used to send the same number throughout the country on the same day. No one knows how he did it. Inspired by this, our director designed Vasu’s character with his original ideas.
Tell us about your homework for Vasu’s character
I spent a lot of time with the director. I read the script many times. It helped a lot to get into the character. I had an idea for everything about how he would sit, walk, or smoke a cigarette. I later discussed with my director how to bring Vasu to life. I worked on Vasu’s language and body language as he grew older.
Does Matka delve into the caste discrimination, which is a recurring theme in Karuna Kumar’s films?
Matka is not a socio-political film. It is a proper commercial mass film. As we travel with Vasu’s character, his words sometimes feel true. Sometimes, his character is pure evil and extremely good, too. Only 1 percent of the rich earn 90 paise of every rupee that circulates in this country. 99 percent of people keep fighting for the remaining 10 paise. Vasu aims to be in that one percent. This is the core concept of Matka.
What’s the main reason to accept this movie?
One of the biggest reasons behind signing Matka is Vasu’s characterization. It is a strongly written character. It doesn’t mean good or bad. The audience will connect with Vasu’s character. They will be transported to the 60s and 70s and travel with Vasu for two and a half hours. Matka is targeted at the mass audience with proper commercial elements.
Does Matka contain a high dose of violence?
The movie has been rated UA, even though we were prepared for an ‘A’ rating (laughs). Yes, there is violence in the film, and it has nine action sequences. The second half turns into a revenge drama, and the final moments are packed with intense action.
Tell us something about Meenakshi Chaudhary
Meenakshi plays a character that travels with Vasu. Their characters support each other emotionally throughout the story. There’s an emotional twist to their relationship. I believe her performance will be well appreciated. Nora Fatehi also plays a significant role and has given a fantastic performance.
How was the experience collaborating with Vyra Entertainments and SRT Entertainments?
It’s been a great experience working with both Vyra Entertainments and SRT Entertainments. From day one, everyone worked passionately with the intent of making a great film. It was a really positive and rewarding experience.
