Akka Series Review: In Akka, Netflix’s Hindi crime-thriller series, things take a sudden and bloody turn when Rudra vies for the power of Pernuru, a place that has been ruled by women for centuries. Trying to break the matriarchal society, Rudra tries to engage the various men who feel wronged by the strong-willed and unforgiving women of the area to do her bidding. But when she goes up against Bhavani, the ruthless but kind ruler of the region, things take an interesting and even more bloody turn.
The series, at 5 episodes, is a short but fast-paced watch that offers a distinctive take on the gangster genre, where sisterhood reigns supreme. In the midst of right and wrong, Bhavani and the women of Pernuru must face the consequences of past choices as things go from bad to worse. With two formidable women at the centre of the conflict, the series is a stellar project that is an enjoyable watch, but not without its issues.
The cast includes Keerthy Suresh, Radhika Apte, Tanvi Azmi, Mahesh Manjrekar, Anshuman Pushkar, and Monica Panwar, with Dharmaraj Shetty working as writer and director.
Akka Series Review
All Hail the Matriarchy!
Set in the fictional kingdom of Pernuru in the 1980s, Akka centres around a society that is run by women. The kingdom is passed down from one woman to another, and it’s women who occupy positions of authority and fiercely defend their territory. The series focuses on the fact that the world is run by tradition, loyalty and an established hierarchy that has endured a lot throughout generations, and that’s what shapes the story that unfolds in front of us.
Akka follows Bhavani and Rudra, two strong women who have ties to one another severed years before thanks to an unjust choice. While Rudra burns with vengeance and wants to destroy the Pernuru house, Bhavani desperately tries to protect the clan and the sisterhood. In the midst of customs and a world order desperately trying to change them, the series brings forth an interesting twist to the usual gangster story and puts two women against one another in this fight for power.
The concept, thus, showcases how authority operates within this society and what power does to people. Despite the story being centred around a world order that viewers don’t see every day, the conflict offers familiar beats that will leave anyone surprised. Rudra’s entry into Bhavani’s territory with all guns blazing provides a darker look into what happens when past decisions leave behind scars that can never be healed.
The push and pull between Bhavani and Rudra establishes a unique challenge that brings into question Pernuru’s age-old customs, traditions and power structures. It also raises interesting questions about how authority is established, maintained and challenged. There’s a ton of violence, but beyond that, it examines the deep love and respect that the women in the clan share for one another and how fiercely protective they are, despite some choices that leave a bad taste in the mouth.
The Female-Led Cast is Its Biggest Draw
Every cast member is fantastic in Akka on Netflix. However, it’s Keerthy Suresh who leaves you mesmerised. Bhavani is desperate to protect the legacy that has been passed down to her, but there’s a kind-hearted and more open-minded side to her that leaves viewers hooked on her. While she’s ruthless, her moments of vulnerability are Bhavani’s biggest wins. It makes viewers sympathetic to her struggles and choices and the difficulties that exist in their way of life.
Meanwhile, on the opposite side of her is Radhika Apte, who has always been a fan favourite. As Rudra, she is ruthless, but the screenplay somehow offers her character less nuance and more hammered dialogues that sound unnatural in normal conversations. Rudra somehow always speaks in riddles and delivers lines that sound extremely rehearsed. It’s like she has these hard-hitting one-liners in her pocket and whips them out every chance she gets. As a result, her character is difficult to follow, because you don’t relate to her as much. Apte does the best with what she is given, but in the end, her character’s arc remains disappointing.
Clashing against one another, Suresh and Apte are magnetic to look at. Despite Rudra’s hammy dialogues, the two share a chemistry and screen presence that cannot be ignored. Showcasing two women who would do anything to establish their power and dominance, the series wins thanks to giving both women convincing motivations instead of it being about love or marriage. It’s not really a battle between black and white; here, most of the characters operate in the grey area.
Other than them, the series stars some noteworthy actors who do a fantastic job of establishing Pernuru.
The Unmet Potential of an Ambitious Premise
With all that being said, something about Akka doesn’t sit right. At the end of the runtime, the conflict that establishes such heavy bloodshed and destruction doesn’t get the ending that it deserves after a surprising turn of events with Apte’s Rudra. While her dialogues are hammy and out of place, it’s interesting to watch her because her motivations feel personal and relatable.
However, when the series gets to the end, the way her character arc ends is a cop-out and utterly disappointing. It completely took away from the thrill of watching the series because the moment when the series should’ve reached its crescendo, it oddly falls flat. This turn of events also feels out of place because the pacing and the story arc were extremely thrilling till then.
While the series explores what lies beneath their rivalry quite well, exploring different motivations from different characters, it’s ultimately unable to make a hard-hitting landing, which left behind a sour taste in my mouth.
Final Verdict
Akka starts off with bold ambitions and engages us with its lightning-fast pacing and fantastic cast, especially Keerthy Suresh’s magnetic screen presence. However, it’s unable to make the landing more believable, and Rudra’s character feels fantastical rather than relatable. Overall, the ending is disappointing in my book, but it’s enjoyable regardless because it explores something beyond just money or romance – this is a fight for respect, legacy and power.
Watch Akka on Netflix right now. What did you think of the series? Let us know in the comments below!
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