India, April 17 -- A new crime drama, Matka King, starring Vijay Varma, has reignited curiosity around one of India's most infamous gambling figures-Ratan Khatri. The series, which premiered on Amazon Prime Video, draws heavily from real events, portraying the rise of a common man into a powerful betting kingpin through the character Brij Bhatti.

Who Was Ratan Khatri? The Man Behind Vijay Varma's Brij Bhatti Character

Ratan Khatri was a Mumbai-based gambling kingpin, widely regarded as the face of India's matka betting industry. Born in Karachi before India's Partition, he migrated to Mumbai in 1947 and began working in the city's textile and trading hubs. 

It was here that he encountered early forms of betting linked to cotton pr...