Radhika Apte has revealed the 70s secret behind her Akka character. While shaping Rudra’s hair and costume, she kept returning to Zeenat Aman – specifically the actor’s fringe and overall period silhouette.
“It is a character reference; it was just costume and hair.”
Radhika told Filmfare. She was looking at Zeenat’s hair and fringe while working on the look, and because Rudra is from Bombay, some of the references came from Zeenat’s best-known screen roles, including Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Don and Qurbani.
Akka’s power struggle
Akka is a period crime thriller set in a fictional corner of South India. Keerthy Suresh plays Bhavani, the ruler defending her land and legacy. Radhika’s Rudra is a ruthless rebel and nemesis with her own mission.
- Series: Akka
- Leads: Keerthy Suresh and Radhika Apte
- Writer-director: Dharmaraj Shetty
- Producer: YRF Entertainment
- Premiere: Netflix, October 30
What drew Radhika in was the detail. She said Shetty has worked hard to make the fictitious world feel real, without making it a real place. She also liked that the women at the centre did not soften the story.
“Just because it is about women, he has not compromised on the fact that it is a gangster story.”
Neither lead is written as an easy hero. Radhika said playing a messy character is “far more interesting than playing a very nice person.” Bhavani will do whatever it takes to hold her legacy; Rudra has a mission of her own.
Why the Zeenat reference matters
Zeenat Aman’s 70s image gives a period story instant visual shorthand: the fringe, the wig, the attitude. For an actor, a costume-and-hair reference can be the first step into a character, especially when the character’s city is part of the story. It is a clue to the texture fans can expect from the series.
OTT finds its place
Radhika entered streaming early with Sacred Games and Ghoul. She remembers the initial fear around a new medium. Since then, she says, OTT has changed massively and is settling into its own space. Akka is part of that shift – a detailed period gangster story with two women at its centre, built for Netflix.
Source: Filmfare