Akka Review: Keerthy Suresh, Radhika Apte Show On Matriarchs Has Promising Concept, Weak Writing
Akka is currently streaming on Netflix. Read our review here.
2.5 / 5
As the year ends, we’ve seen many good and bad shows along the way. Usually, male leads do the heavy lifting in these dramas, but not here. This show is about matriarchs, a concept hardly explored in the Indian web-show space. Titled Akka, this five-series web-show stars Keerthy Suresh, Radhika Apte, Tanvi Azmi, Poornima Indrajith, and Anshuman Pushkar, among others. Written and directed by Dharmaraj Shetty, Akka has elements of a memorable show, but it’s marred by poor execution and rushed writing. Read our review here.
Plot
A fictional South Indian city, Pernuru, is ruled by a gang of sisters. Their rule, power and legacy are challenged by an outsider from Mumbai, Rudra (Radhika Apte). In terrible circumstances, Bhawani (Keerthy Suresh) takes up the position of Akka, and now it’s her responsibility to save the legacy of the sisters. There are several turns of events in this 5-episode series, each 30-40 minutes long.
What’s Good?
There’s no denying that Akka brings a refreshing concept to the forefront. A show about matriarchs with some really strong elements. The history of Purnuru is explained to us, and this historical element in the show instantly pulls you in. The world of powerful female gangsters, the story of different women-tribes, and the sub-plot of Radhika Apte’s Rudra, who wants to destroy this world and give the power into the hands of men. She wants to establish the rule of patriarchs, with, of course, her own ulterior motives. All these concepts in the show are promising, and the setting of this world is also interesting. However, Akka struggles with rushed writing and choppy editing.
Performances
Keerthy Suresh is an expressive actor, and she gracefully handles the character of Bhawani. The rage in her eyes is deeply felt in many moments. Keerthy Suresh has an exceptional screen presence, and she was best suited for this role. Safe to say, sometimes a performance can surpass the writing. Radhika Apte as the ruthless Rudra is yet again brilliant in her role. Tanvi Amzi as one of the Akkas brings the much-needed nuance to her role, and Poornima Indrajith shines in the show too. The other performances are decent in the show.
The actors in Akka do absolute justice to their respective roles, and Sheetal Iqbal Sharma has done an exceptional job with the costume design. It reflects the grandeur and power that the characters represent. For Rudra, this gaze shifts to becoming more fierce and bold.
Chaotic Writing
Akka starts on a promising note. It sets your expectations for something new, but along the way, the show fails to keep you impressed and engaged. We will come to the characters later; the story of Akka loses its charm because the writing is half-baked. There are some shocking turns of events, but no room for anticipation for its audience. Each episode starts with a backstory, and it feels like some minute additions when the plot had so much potential to be explored in depth. The ending particularly feels underwhelming, also because we are made to care less till we reach there.
This woman-dominated world could have touched upon so many spaces, but Akka limits itself to just being a shallow power struggle that lacked emotions, and NGL it’s a turn-off.
Needed Better Characters
The show is character-heavy, but we are not given enough to connect with each of them. After a point, it becomes difficult to differentiate between female characters because the individuality factor is missing. I was particularly interested in the origin story of women tribes, but the show refuses to give us anything substantial here. Even the two leads, Rudra and Bhawani, are not given any scope for an arc in the show, which is sad because it’s rare to see such female characters. Even for the supporting male characters played by Anshuman Pushkar and Vishak Nair, the writing is similar to that of any female character in a male-dominated show, with hardly any substance.
Verdict
Akka is no doubt a promising show, but the writing fails to do justice with it. The performances do not disappoint. Akka is streaming on Netflix.
Also Read: From Akka To Dead-End Job, OTT Releases This Week!
First Published: October 30, 2026 2:23 PM
