Keerthy Suresh, who won the National Award for Mahanati, makes her debut in a Netflix series with Akka, appearing in a completely mass avatar. Adding to the excitement is Radhika Apte, known for her powerful performances in web series like Sacred Games.
Produced by Yash Raj Films, the banner behind The Railway Men, this Hindi series is written and directed by Dharmaraj Shetty. Although its teaser was released in 2025, the five-episode series has finally arrived on Netflix after a year’s delay, with a Telugu-dubbed version as well.
The basic concept is quite interesting. Unlike regular gangster dramas dominated by men, Akka presents a world ruled entirely by women. They control the money, power, weapons and businesses, while men have little influence.
This unusual setting initially creates plenty of curiosity. Unfortunately, the series fails to maintain that excitement until the end.
Story
Set in 1985, the story unfolds in Pernuru, a region ruled by women for generations. The entire place depends on the liquor business, and women control everything.
Bhavani (Keerthy Suresh) is the heir to this powerful empire.
However, her family follows some strict traditions. Women cannot marry, and they must have a child, either biological or adopted, to become the next Akka. Outsiders are strictly prohibited from interfering in their affairs.
Bhavani follows these rules, but her personal life becomes complicated when the man she loves refuses to have a child without marriage.
Meanwhile, Rudra (Radhika Apte), sent by Mumbai gangster Shankar (Mahesh Manjrekar), enters Pernuru with a mission to take control of Bhavani’s liquor empire.
However, Rudra’s intentions are not limited to business. She has a personal grudge against Bhavani’s family.
Who is Rudra? What happened in her past? And how does Bhavani protect her empire? These questions form the rest of the story.
Performances
Keerthy Suresh is one of the biggest strengths of Akka. She delivers a convincing performance as Bhavani, displaying authority, aggression and emotional vulnerability with equal ease.
She looks impressive in a powerful role that is quite different from her usual characters.
Radhika Apte also makes a strong impression as Rudra. Her appearance in black Western outfits contrasts sharply with the traditional sarees and jewellery worn by the women of Pernuru.
Her character’s flashback is among the more interesting portions of the series.
Both actresses give their best, but the writing does not provide enough strong moments to make their confrontation truly exciting.
Technical Aspects
Technically, Akka looks rich and impressive.
The massive sets, carefully chosen locations and detailed production design create a believable world.
The costumes are another highlight. The traditional sarees, heavy jewellery and particularly the large nose rings give the characters a distinctive appearance.
The makers have clearly spent considerable money and effort on creating the fictional world of Pernuru.
The first two episodes are particularly engaging, as the director introduces the unusual traditions, rules and power structure of this female-dominated society.
Analysis
The biggest strength of Akka is its unusual concept. But its biggest weakness is the way that concept is developed.
The idea of a gangster empire controlled by women sounds refreshing. However, after establishing this interesting world, the story follows the familiar path of a regular gangster drama.
There are power struggles, violent confrontations, betrayals and revenge. The only major difference is that women have replaced men.
The writing fails to explore the unique possibilities offered by its premise.
Another major problem is the lack of a smooth narrative flow. The story often jumps from one important event to another without providing convincing explanations.
For instance, a priest warns Rudra that winning the trust of Pernuru’s people will take considerable time. Surprisingly, she becomes popular among them almost immediately.
Such developments weaken the credibility of the narrative.
The series also relies heavily on slow-motion walks, stylish appearances, punch dialogues and violent scenes instead of developing its characters.
Rudra should have emerged as an equally powerful opponent to Bhavani. Unfortunately, the writing fails to establish a sufficiently strong rivalry between them.
By the fourth episode, the story becomes predictable.
Although the series has just five episodes, it feels unnecessarily stretched in several places.
The final confrontation between Bhavani’s gang and Rudra’s gang brings some excitement, but it arrives too late to save the overall experience.
The excessive bloodshed in certain sequences also adds little to the storytelling.
Verdict
Akka has an interesting premise, lavish production values and two talented actresses in Keerthy Suresh and Radhika Apte.
The female-dominated gangster world offers a refreshing starting point, and the performances are impressive. However, weak writing, predictable developments and repetitive violence prevent the series from becoming a gripping entertainer.
Overall, Akka is like a tasteless meal served on a silver platter. The presentation is grand, but the story lacks flavour.