Amaze on and on and on: Matka King, Dupahiya, Snakes and Ladders, Matka King and The Rana Connection
In the third part of my report, here’s the lowdown on four more shows that Amazon has lined-up, in various languages.
Matka King (Hindi)
In this fictional tale set in 1960s Mumbai, an enterprising cotton trader who craves legitimacy and respect, starts a new gambling game, dubbed ‘Matka’, which takes the city by storm and democratises a terrain previously reserved for the rich and elite. There was indeed such a thing as ‘Matka’, in the 60s, 70s and 80s. I am not sure whether it fizzled out after that or still survives.
One man used to pick out a card from a ‘Matka’ (earthen pot), and anybody who had bet on that number would be paid out by a string of agents across Mumbai. People could place bets as low as 25 paise (in the 60s), and win many times over. With time, I recall that the ‘Matka’ gave way to sophisticated picking methods, and there used to be two picks, one in the morning and another late in the evening, called Open and Close respectively. You could bet on both, and if you got both right, you made a small fortune.
The kingpin of this ‘racket’ was a man called Ratan, whose life was filmed in a film called Rangeela Ratan, reportedly finance by him. There were later two official ‘Matkas’: one was called Worli Matka and the other Kalyan Matka, named after localities in Bombay. It was either legal, or he found some loophole in the laws of the time, but the system flourished unhampered, with lakhs, if not millions of Bombayites, placing their bets regularly, every day. Some were ruined by long-term losses, others enriched by short-term gains. It would be interesting to see whether Roy Kapur films have done made a biographical show, or fictionalised the concept.
Nothing need be said about writer-director Nagraj Manjule, but his co-writer needs mention here. Abhay Koranne’s debut film was the action-drama Bhavesh Joshi Superhero (2018), co-written with Vikramaditya Motwane and Anurag Kashyap. Abhay also conceived and wrote the story concept for the series Rocket Boys (2022), for Roy Kapur Films. He has written the screenplay for the documentary Indi(r)a’s Emergency (2023), and he describes Matka King as a gritty historical crime series. Vijay Varma plays the main role. Remember him in Dahaad?
Dupahiya (Hindi)
In a village that is on the cusp of celebrating 25 years of being crime-free, chaos ensues when a coveted motor cycle gets stolen! With the silver jubilee trophy, a wedding, and the pride of the villagers at stake, what follows is a crazy journey to retrieve the bike before it’s too late.
Dupahiya, which means two-wheeler in Hindi, is directed by Sonam Nair. She helmed Masaba and the movie Gippi. Riding on this two wheeler, Besides Sonam, are producers Salona Bains Joshi, and Shubh Shivdasani, creators Chirag Garg, Avinash Dwivedi, Salona Bains Joshi, and Shubh Shivdasani, writers: Avinash Dwivedi and Chirag Garg, Key cast: Gajraj Rao, Renuka Shahane, Bhuvan Arora, Sparsh Srivastava, Shivani Raghuvanshi, and Yashpal Sharma. At last count, that made 11. Now that is going to some bike!
Snakes and Ladders (Tamil)
Four reckless kids, while trying to cover up an accident, find themselves caught in dangerous situations – chased by cops, dim-witted thugs, and their own bad choices.
Produced by A Stone Bench, Snakes and Ladders has, as Creative Producer, Karthik Subbaraj. It is directed by the trio Bharath Muralidharan, Ashok Veerappan, and Kamala Alchemis, with Kamala Alchemis and Dhivakar Kamal as Creators. Key cast comprises Naveen Chandra, Muthu Kumar, Nandaa, Srinda, Manoj Bharathiraja, Ramachandran, Sreejith Ravi, Samrit Surya, Rageshwar Surya, Kumar Tharun, and Sasha Bharen. Can’t bet over the Alchemis in Kamala’s name. Is the t at the end invisible?
Now who would you think of when you imagined a new talk-show host? Not Karan Johar. I said “new”. Well whoever you might think of, it is not likely to be 39 year-old Rana Dagubatti. Better known as the Survivor, after his kidney and cornea transplants, and other illnesses. I know, I know. He might not be as proficient in English and Hindi as you would like him to be. So what is wrong with a talk show in Telugu? Rana: Telugu. There is a connection. And they call it just that.
The Rana Connection (Telugu)
An exciting and curiosity-piquing talk show, hosted by celebrated actor Rana Daggubati, featuring his friends and contemporaries from Indian cinema. The production company is called Spirit Media Pvt Ltd, with Rajeev Ranjan and Prashanth Potluri as producers.
Rana Daggubati is the host…and the guests? You shall soon discover.
Portland, OR, November 27, 2025 –(CarryOnHarry.com)– The FAN EXPO Portland celebrity guest list has always featured great variety, and five new additions to the 2026 lineup for the pop culture extravaganza are further proof of that. Cary Elwes (The Princess Bride, Saw), Gates McFadden (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Picard), Walter Koenig (Star Trek, Babylon 5), Manny Jacinto (The Good Place, Star Wars: The Acolyte) and “Peggy the Dog” (Deadpool & Wolverine) will now attend the event set for January 16-18 at the Oregon Convention Center.
Elwes gained wide acclaim for his portrayal of “Wesley” in the 1987 classic The Princess Bride and reached new audiences by headlining the Mel Brooks spoof Robin Hood: Men in Tights and later Saw. He also recently appeared in the Tom Cruise features Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One and Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning and portrays “Mayor Larry Kline” in Stranger Things 3.
McFadden had the key role of “Beverly Crusher” in TNG, reprising the role in Picard, Prodigy and other iterations of the franchise. She is also a stage actress, choreographer, director, teacher, and was the host of more than 300 episodes of the podcast “Gates McFadden InvestiGates: Who Do You Think You Are?”
Koenig is best known for his recurring television portrayals both of the hated, intensely driven “Alfred Bester” (Babylon 5) and the likable, perpetually cheerful “Pavel Chekov” (Star Trek). Koenig’s film work includes the first seven Star Trek feature films, for which he earned two Saturn Award Best Supporting Actor nominations. His many other films have been independent projects with challenging roles.
Jacinto played “Jason Mendoza” on the full four-season run of The Good Place (2016-20) and later appeared as “Lt. Fritz Avalone” in the blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick. Also among his more than 50 TV and film credits are runs on the Hulu series Nine Perfect Strangers and the animated series Hailey’s on It!
Peggy, earning the title of “Britain’s Ugliest Dog” in a national competition there, has gone on to stardom as “Dogpool” in the Marvel Universe in Deadpool & Wolverine. A portion of proceeds from her appearance at FAN EXPO Portland will support a local charity in the Pacific Northwest.
The five bolster an already impressive FAN EXPO Portland celebrity roster that includes: • The Lord of the Rings headliners Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan • Mike Colter (Luke Cage, Men in Black³) • Josh Holloway (Lost, Yellowstone) • Jonathan Frakes (Star Trek: The Next Generation) • Harry Potter duo of Matthew Lewis and Bonnie Wright • Judith Hoag (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Armageddon) • Robbie Rist (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Brady Bunch) • Ernie Reyes Jr. (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) • Brian Tochi (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Revenge of the Nerds) • Kenn Scott (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, director/Adventures of Johnny Tao) • François Chau (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Lost) • Thomas Lennon (Reno 911!, American Dad) • Cedric Yarbrough (Reno 911!, The Goldbergs) • My Hero Academia standouts Eric Vale, David Matranga, J. Michael Tatum, Brandon McInnis and Clifford Chapin • Hazbin Hotel regulars Christian Borle, Joel Perez and Krystina Alabado
More FAN EXPO Portland guest announcements will follow from the worlds of film, television, streaming, art, literature, gaming, cosplay, anime, animation and more in the coming weeks.
Adult, Youth and Child Single-Day Tickets, Three-Day Passes, Family passes, and Ultimate and VIP Packages for FAN EXPO Portland are available now at www.fanexpoportland.com. Advance pricing is available until January 1.
Portland is the second event on the 2026 FAN EXPO HQ calendar; the full schedule is available at fanexpohq.com/home/events.
About FAN EXPO HQ FAN EXPO HQ is the largest comic con producer in the world. Collectively it hosts over one million fans annually at FAN EXPO New Orleans, FAN EXPO Portland, FAN EXPO Vancouver, FAN EXPO Cleveland, MEGACON Orlando, Toronto Comicon, CALGARY EXPO, FAN EXPO Denver, FAN EXPO Philadelphia, FAN EXPO Boston, FAN EXPO Chicago, FAN EXPO Canada, FAN EXPO Dallas, VIDCON Anaheim, EDMONTON EXPO, Dallas FAN FESTIVAL and FAN EXPO San Francisco. The latest schedule of events is available on the website, along with up-to-date ticket information. Discover. Celebrate. Belong.
Nashville, TN, November 20, 2025 –(CarryOnHarry.com)– A fourth-generation U.S. Virgin Islander who has called Nashville home since 1993, de Lugo transitioned from an award-winning career in music publishing and feature film producing, with Platinum and Gold Albums, Arista Records A-Team Award, BMI #1 and more, to lavender farming in 2018. Focusing exclusively on Peace Tree Farm’s trademarked, heat- and humidity-tolerant hybrids—Lavender Phenomenal®, Sensational!®, and Exceptional!®—she has proven these cultivars are the definitive choice for Southern growers.
Lloyd Traven, President of Peace Tree Farm, the original breeder of these global-standard varieties, praises de Lugo’s early foresight and influence:
“Over a period of the last decade, Gigi has been highlighting our introductions that have become the Gold Standard for lavender worldwide, and she was an early proponent because she saw the extra value of these introductions… Once she knew the plants were different and far superior, she committed to making the right choice for her customers. She can now proudly say that she has started over 30 new farms on their journey across an area ranging from Virginia through to Iowa!”
From its original rented fields in Whites Creek—Gigi’s Lavender, was celebrated by “Garden & Gun” magazine as one of the South’s top lavender destinations—the licensed nursery has supplied thousands of Peace Tree-bred plants throughout Tennessee and beyond. In 2019, de Lugo founded “The Lavender Exchange (TLx),” an exclusive membership alliance offering ongoing technical support, resource sharing, cooperative marketing, and agritourism promotion to farms that source their plants exclusively from Gigi’s Nursery.
Traven also highlights the impact of this network: “Gigi also knows the great importance and value of marketing with expression of clear benefits and a clear message. She created the Lavender Exchange with this in mind—to provide an outlet for cooperative marketing and sharing of equipment and machinery and product ideas.”
This strengthened ownership ensures continuity for de Lugo’s research, educational outreach, and product innovation at the Joelton location, including her newest Patent Pending offering, “ZWave Mg”—a topical magnesium spray infused with pure Phenomenal lavender hydrosol steam-distilled exclusively from flowers grown by TLx member farms. Designed for relaxation, muscle relief, and better sleep, ZWave Mg showcases the wellness potential of Southern-grown lavender.
“This milestone gives us the stability and security to continue investing in our Southern lavender research, development, product distribution, and growing community of the farms we support through The Lavender Exchange (TLx),” said Gigi de Lugo. “From the beginning I set out to prove lavender could become a viable cash crop for Tennessee and Southern farms—not only a pretty agritourism field, but a real harvestable commodity built on Phenomenal®. It took courageous pioneers willing to bet on the unproven and stay the course with me. These years, alongside the extraordinary farmers of our TLx family, have been one of the greatest adventures of my life.”
Experience the pure essence of Southern lavender: Gigi’s premium products, including the breakthrough ZWave Mg, are available exclusively through her website, and retail partners across Tennessee. Gigi is in discussion with a Nashville based manufacturer to expand her ZWave Mg production capacity for 2026.
About Gigi’s Lavender Nursery & Farm Gigi’s Lavender Nursery & Farm is a Tennessee-licensed grower and an exclusive Southeast source for Peace Tree Farm’s Phenomenal®, Sensational!®, Exceptional!®, Inspirational!® lavender cultivars. It serves as headquarters for The Lavender Exchange (TLx), a premier network advancing lavender agriculture and agritourism across the South and Midwest.
