“Before Akka, I didn’t know I could play a female gangster”: Keerthy Suresh on Becoming Bhavani.
_The National Award-winning actress steps into a world of power, legacy and revenge as Bhavani in Netflix’s gangster saga, Akka, premiering October 30._
A kingdom built on loyalty. A legacy guarded for generations. And a rivalry that threatens to upend it all. In Netflix’s Akka, Keerthy Suresh steps into the world of Pernuru as Bhavani, a woman whose power is rooted in a formidable legacy and whose resolve will be tested like never before.
Celebrated for her compelling performances in Mahanati, Saani Kaayidham and Dasara, Keerthy takes on a role that pushed her into uncharted territory. “Before Akka, I didn’t know I could play a female gangster,” she says.
Set in a kingdom where women have ruled and protected their own for generations, Akka explores a world where power is inherited, loyalty is everything, and protecting a legacy comes at a price. For Bhavani, that means navigating difficult choices while standing firm in what she believes in. “Bhavani is a woman who knows what she stands for and will go to great lengths to protect her legacy,” Keerthy shares. “What makes her interesting is that beneath her strength and authority are choices that are never easy, especially when the stakes are so high.”
But the order that has defined Pernuru faces a formidable challenge in Rudra, played by Radhika Apte. An outsider whose ambitions and beliefs threaten the established order, Rudra sets the stage for a clash that goes beyond competing claims to power. As tensions rise and loyalties are put to the test, Bhavani finds herself at the centre of a battle that could change the fate of the kingdom.
Written and directed by Dharmaraj Shetty and produced by YRF Entertainment, ‘Akka’ also stars Tanvi Azmi, Mahesh Manjrekar, Anshuman Pushkar and Monica Panwar
Akka premieres on Netflix on October 30, 2026.
