Radhika Apte is heading back to streaming with a role she says she hasn’t played before. In Akka, Netflix’s upcoming series directed by Dharmaraj Shetty, she plays Rudra — an outsider who arrives in Pernuru, a town that has been governed by women for generations, and sets out to challenge the order.
Style on top, conflict underneath
Radhika describes Rudra as a character of two speeds. The exterior is loud and styled; the interior is more complicated. “On the surface, she is very dramatic and stylish, but internally, there is a lot of complexity to her,” she said. “Rudra was a character that I had never played before.”
“Rudra is someone who refuses to be defined by the circumstances she finds herself in. She is fierce, has her own ambitions, and is willing to challenge the established order, which makes her a fascinating character to explore.”
Rudra’s ambition puts her on a direct path toward Bhavani, played by Keerthy Suresh. The two actors become the opposing forces at the centre of the series.
The fight is more than power
Rather than a simple contest for control, the series frames the clash around what each woman carries into it. Radhika pointed to the motivations underneath the conflict:
- Beliefs: the principles each character refuses to bend.
- Loyalties: who they stand with and why.
- Personal stakes: the losses that make the fight personal.
“What I enjoyed about Akka is that the conflict isn’t simply about who holds power; it’s also about the different beliefs, loyalties, and personal stakes that drive each character,” she explained.
Who is behind Akka
The series is written and directed by Dharmaraj Shetty and produced by YRF Entertainment. Aditya Chopra, Yogendra Mogre and Akshaye Widhani serve as executive producers. The wider ensemble includes Tanvi Azmi, Mahesh Manjrekar, Anshuman Pushkar and Monica Panwar.
For Radhika, the role continues a streaming run that has ranged from Sacred Games to Lust Stories, with film turns in Phobia and Andhadhun in between. Rudra seems designed to use that range differently: the showy surface is the hook, while the character’s own code drives the plot.
Mark the date
Akka premieres on Netflix on October 30. For Hindi cinema fans who like their drama built on character rather than spectacle, the Rudra-Bhavani collision is the reason to tune in.
Source: bollywoodHungama.com