She got hitched last month and now, Kritika Kamra has Matka King — a gritty, hard-hitting series focused on the world of desi gambling and its ramifications — streaming on Prime Video, which is headlined by Vijay Varma. t2 caught up with the always affable Kritika for a chat on matka, marriage and more.
What appealed to you about Matka King?
The world of the series. I am not a Bombay girl and I hadn’t heard about the world of matka (a form of lottery and betting in India that originated in the 1950s, involving betting on numbers, traditionally drawn from a matka or pot, to win money).
When I got to know about the game and its world, I found it hugely fascinating. I am always interested in anything to do with numbers, with probability, with luck.... Very early on, during prep, we were trying to understand the game and so we played it, not with any money, but just within the team to get a feel of it. It was so much fun that everybody was like: “Can we do this again?!” It has an addictive quality to it, which is anyway what gambling is, and I find that fascinating.
I thought an original story built around matka and its world would make for an interesting watch. The top reason, of course, was (creator-director) Nagraj Manjule. I have been an admirer of his for a long time. I remember watching his film Fandry at the Mumbai Film Festival. It really stayed with me. Then, he made Sairat that everyone took notice of. I have also watched Jhund (starring Amitabh Bachchan), as well as the short films that he has made. The chance to collaborate with him was something I jumped right into.
The character (Gulrukh) I play in Matka King is something I hadn’t attempted before. I have been doing a lot of work in the realistic, gritty space and though Matka King is set in a very real world, this character gave me the chance to play around with the look, the way she carries herself, the privilege that she comes from.... This is a Parsi character, and one doesn’t get to see many Parsis on our screens. So that was different for me.
Most importantly, she drives the plot forward. She is pivotal in the rise of matka. It is tough to find female characters that drive the plot or contribute to the narrative moving forward, but this one does. I am constantly waiting for such characters to come my way.
How has working on a Nagraj Manjule project enhanced your skills as an actor?
With a director like him, one always wants to go in prepared. I would be thorough with my prep, but he would also keep a fair bit of room for improvisation. A lot of the dialogues and the way the scenes played out would evolve on set. He would give us a brief and yet want us to improvise a little.
In those situations, it was great to work with Vijay (Varma) because he is a fantastic actor... very intelligent, very observant and giving. I had most of my scenes with him, but we didn’t even have to warm up, we would get right into the scenes, we had a sort of unsaid understanding between us. Nagraj sir likes that play between actors and that made the process more fun and kept me on my toes.
What took you most by surprise about the milieu and machinations of matka?
When I first got to know about matka, I thought it is just a lottery thing. Numbers come out of the matka and that is simply what the game is. But it is more than that... it is a combination of numbers, and is quite complicated. The possibilities in this game are endless. One can bet on many combinations. There is an opening and a closing, which means they used to draw numbers twice — once before the mills opened and then at the end of the day. The game started with mill workers and it spread to other parts of society and, eventually, to affluent south Bombay circles, which is where my character comes in.
There were people from the film industry who started playing it, even businessmen were doing so. At one point, the game kind of became more popular than, say, betting on horses for the rich people of the time.
Can you talk about your retro look in the series?
This is something about period dramas that I enjoy. They give you a window to go into another world and inhabit it. I have done period dramas like Mumbai Meri Jaan and Saare Jahan Se Accha, but my characters there were not really fashionable... in fact, they couldn’t afford it and they weren’t even interested.
In Matka King, I play a young Parsi woman from south Bombay. She wears Parsi Gara saris and pearls. The ’60s and ’70s were known for their fashion — the iconic Parveen Babi, Zeenat Aman sort of looks. My character follows trends and she can afford it. A typical day in her life would be going to the club, playing cards, going to the race course and for brunches. That gave me the opportunity to really play with her accessories and hairstyles. The costume, hair, make-up, everything is very much a part of south Bombay in that era.
A few answers ago, you mentioned how much you believe in luck and probability. How much have those factors played a role in your life and career?
I believe in probability, but not luck. I believe in science and in numbers. I believe that taking more chances and working harder can make you lucky because that is how probability works. If you are going to take more shots, there is a higher chance of something hitting bull’s-eye.
I don’t believe in dumb luck, I never wait for destiny to do its thing. I don’t think that everything is pre-written, I don’t have any superstitions or rituals. What I do feel lucky about are the privileges I have. I feel lucky for my upbringing and the education I have had, how my parents are.... I don’t take that for granted. But apart from that, I don’t wait for luck to do anything. I question a lot, it is hard for me to blindly believe something.
You have told us in the past how you always audition for your roles. Given the stellar work done over the last few years, have the kind of roles you are asked to audition for changed?
There is a slight shift because that is how the industry works. Even if you are trying not to do something within a set roadmap as an actor, they try and find a pattern in your work. The good thing is that I no longer get offered parts where women are just props. That is because I have consciously been staying away from such roles. Now whatever I get to audition for is the part of an independent woman with a mind and will of her own. I don’t mind this stereotype! I am very happy with it.
I am also getting a lot more opportunities. That is all I want, to be honest. I just want the process to be democratic and I want a fair shot at things.
I still audition for everything... I auditioned twice for Matka King. I know I will only be chosen by a director on the basis of my performance and that makes the journey sweeter for me. That is very important to me, especially in today’s times where casting has also become based on factors like how many social media followers does an actor have, or whether you have family connections. But I am glad I am working with directors who rely on casting directors and good auditions to cast an actor.
You and Gaurav Kapoor had a beautiful, simple wedding recently. Was the idea always was to get married at home with an intimate guest list?
It was... right from the word go. We always knew that we are not the kind of people who are going to take six months off to plan a wedding. We planned it in weeks and we were both back at work a week or two later. I got into Matka King announcements and the IPL started for him.
We were sure that this is a celebration of what is to come and this is not the culmination of it. We always wanted it to be at home in Bombay. We found ourselves in Bombay, we found each other in Bombay... the city has meaning for us. Luckily, we have a house that could fit in all the people we love.