Akka review: Keerthy Suresh and Radhika Apte’s series has a strong premise, but struggles to deliver

Netflix's new drama Akka, featuring Keerthy Suresh and Radhika Apte in the lead, has a promising premise. Directed by Dharmaraj Shetty, the five-episode series is set in a fictitious town called Pernuru in South India, which has a matriarchal society. Ruled for hundreds of years by women, the men in this small district are often sidelined and are not given any decision-making power. Set in the 1980s, the district is divided in three villages- each governed by a sister and her daughter, with the eldest sister ruling the district with a tight noose. The group of women gangster live and rule with aplomb untill their peace is disrupted by an outsider from the city who wants to break the tyrany and establish her own rule.

While the premise of a fictitious world ruled by women is a great story to tell, coupled with solid performances from leads, the series leaves you with conflicting feelings.

What’s the plot of Akka?

Bhavani (Keerthy Suresh) is the head of Pernuru district and runs the district along with her godmother Muthakka (Tanvi Azmi). The small town is unlike any other in India, where women are at the helm of affairs. A matriarchal society, they consider daughters as heirs and sons, brothers, and husbands are all sidelined. BHavani and her sisters run a syndicate of sorts and deal with several unlawful activities. At the same time, these women are all well trained in martial arts, wield guns and wear gold with the same aplomb. They are encouraged to procreate but are not allowed to marry, which prevents Bhavani from marrying her lover, Nanda (Vishak Nair).

If the men do not adhere to their set rules, or challenge the rules set by women, they are mostly ousted. Like Amar (Anshuman Pushkar) who, despite being part of Pernuru, never gets an opportunity to call the shots. Something that Rudra (Radhika Apte) takes advantage of. A rank outsider, she has learnt to survive in Bombay, among criminals- mostly men. As Rudra sets her eyes on Pernuru, to dock ships of smuggled goods, away from the pyring eyes of the Police, she takes Amar on her side. The two now want to destroy the matriarchal society, challenge Muthakka and Bhavani’s rule over the district, and establish their power over the place and its people. Naturally, this will lead to clashes as Bhavani and her sisters use might and mind to counter Rudra.

Still from Akka Photograph: (Netflix)

What works and what does not

I have never felt this conflicted while watching a show. As mentioned earlier, the premise of Akka is promising. It may be set back in time, yet it is a world that is ideal in many ways. Where women rule, where the birth of a baby girl is celebrated more than that of a baby boy. Where the men and their opinions are discounted, where they are restricted to the kitchen and farm and are bodyguards. Where the women are stronger than men. However, the series never really uplifts itself. When you are done appreciating the premise that the makers set, right from the first scene, it becomes a story about the mob and both women, Bhavani and Rudra, fight for the coveted throne.

If the writers, director Shetty and dialogues by Hussain and Abbas Dalal, wanted to create a powerful world of women, they only go half way. The dialogues, all in Hindi, are hilariously cliché, where they constantly harp on anushasan, niyam, pratha. The story never taps into the premise it sets out. It is ultimately a desi Game of Thrones.

Radhika Apte plays the woman seeking revenge and the outsider. We have seen Apte in better roles, and while Akka gives her lot of screen time, the screenplay and badly written character never let her flex her talent well.

Still from Akka Photograph: (Netflix)

Keerthy Suresh adds gravitas to her Bhavani, a woman who knows her role as the leader of the clan and will go to any length to do her job well. Then men, Nair, Pushkar and Kiran Karmarkar, have limited screen time but deliver to their parts well.

There is a certain amount of graphic violence in the series that feels unnecessary but seems like the norm on OTT. With multiple houses, gangs and characters, it takes a while to settle into the story, but the narrative never alleviates itself.

Final verdict

Akka perhaps is too ambitious and that’s why flawed. It never taps into its true potential and becomes a mashup of Kantara and Mirzapur, with women replacing the men, fighting each other for a coveted throne and power. Seems like a familiar story, no?

Akka is streaming on Netflix now.