Netflix Crime Drama 'Akka' Explores Power and Matriarchy in Pernuru

The new Netflix crime series Akka centers on an 800-year-old sisterhood that controls the criminal underworld and gold trade in the fictional South Indian region of Pernuru. Produced by Yash Raj Films and directed by debutant writer-director Dharmaraj Shetty, the show premiered on October 30.

The Sisterhood

Set in the 1980s, the narrative divides Pernuru into three territories governed by female family elites. The central house of Malemar is led by Muthakka and inherited by the moralistic Bhavani, played by Keerthy Suresh. Other territories include Perplady and Herkada, governed by figures such as Devika, played by Poornima Indrajith. The coven monopolizes state tenders for country liquor and gold while celebrating the birth of girl children and excluding mainland interference.

The Conflict

Threats to the matriarchy arrive from Bombay in the form of Rudra, played by Radhika Apte. Backed by a mafia don named Shankar, played by Mahesh Manjrekar, Rudra enters Pernuru to seize control of illicit trade with assistance from men like Shankar Anna, played by Anshuman Pushkar. The central clash between Bhavani and Rudra explores caste divides and institutional power versus marginalised resistance.

Context

Crime sagas in Indian entertainment traditionally feature women in passive domestic roles rather than as central crime lords. Akka subverts this dynamic by placing matriarchs at the head of a criminal syndicate, while also examining whether transferring absolute power to women fundamentally alters oppressive social structures.