From Scroll · Scroll Staff · · 1m 20s
Akka creator Dharmaraj Shetty on women's leadership
Dharmaraj Shetty explains how his web series Akka celebrates women's leadership and cultural traditions.
In brief
Dharmaraj Shetty explains how his web series Akka celebrates women's leadership and cultural traditions. Dharmaraj Shetty created the web series Akka to explore women-led governance and cultural traditions in a fictional coastal town. Originally reported by Scroll.
Akka web series debut
Dharmaraj Shetty created the five-episode Hindi web series Akka for Netflix.
“The central fight is between what is the right thing to do and what needs to be done, which is a difficult thing faced by leaders anywhere in the world”
Pernuru's matriarchal rule
The fictional coastal town Pernuru is governed by a matriarchal clan from the 1940s to 1980s.
Matriarch Muthakka
Tanvi Azmi plays Muthakka, the matriarch who controls the liquor brewing trade in Pernuru.
Bhavani's role
Keerthy Suresh portrays Bhavani, the heiress who must maintain Pernuru's equilibrium and outwit dissidents.
Rudra's entrance
Radhika Apte's character Rudra enters Pernuru from Mumbai to become the new 'Akka'.
Women-led inheritance
Pernuru's women take partners instead of marrying, with inheritance passing through the female line.
Shetty's research
Shetty drew inspiration from female warriors in Mangaluru and Kerala who held their own against powerful adversaries.
Akka's production
Shetty started writing Akka during the pandemic with YRF Entertainment's script development head Deepanjali Sarkar.
Costume design
Sheetal Sharma designed bright saris and earthy hues with gold and silver jewellery for the characters.
House styles
Pernuru's three houses have distinct styles: water house blue, forest house green, central house maroon and dark red.
At a glance
Dharmaraj Shetty created the web series Akka to explore women-led governance and cultural traditions in a fictional coastal town.
