Varun Tej, once a rising star in Telugu cinema, finds himself navigating a challenging phase in his career. Following a string of successful films like “Fidaa,” “Tholi Prema,” and “F2,” his post-lockdown ventures haven’t garnered audience approval, with “F3” being the sole exception.

Tej’s solo-hero projects, “Ghani,” “Gandheevdhari Arjuna,” and “Operation Valentine,” all resulted in box-office disasters, impacting his market value and fan following.

“Matka,” a period film helmed by “Palasa 1978” fame Karuna Kumar, initially generated a positive response with its first glimpse.
Commissioned during a period of depressed digital market rates, the film was initially allotted a budget of ₹60 crores.
However, with the digital market bouncing back, the producers opted for a budget reduction, aiming to finish the film within ₹40 crores. This raised concerns about the adequacy of the revised budget for a period film.

Tej’s recent box-office failures have cast doubt on his box-office pull.
Director Kumar’s lack of prior commercial success further adds to the uncertainty.
A partner of Vyra Entertainments, the production house behind “Matka,” has exited the project, leaving Mohan Cherukuri as the sole producer.
Cherukuri’s reluctance to shoulder the financial risk has led him to seek a new partner.

With Varun Tej’s market position weakened and the production facing financial hurdles, the future of “Matka” remains shrouded in doubt. Only time will tell if the film manages to overcome these challenges and reach the silver screen.