Keerthy Suresh's Bhavani in Netflix's ‘Akka’ is not a conventional gangster. She commands power and loyalty, but her position is also shaped by her responsibilities towards the people around her. For writer-director Dharmaraj Shetty, this contradiction was central to creating a female gangster who could be fierce and intimidating without losing the qualities that make her a leader.

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In a conversation about the making of the series, Shetty revealed that the idea initially began as an attempt to develop a gangster story. However, his exploration of South India's matriarchal traditions gradually led him towards a more unusual character: a queen who becomes a gangster.

“A queen-turned-gangster was an exciting idea to explore. A gangster in the real world is not someone to look up to, as they don’t really uphold the best values morally. However, Bhavani as a gangster is still a people’s queen, and puts everyone around her above herself, making her an ideal leader. Her ‘gangster’ side is mostly circumstantial, rather than a chosen power game. She is still someone we can cheer on,” he said.

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This distinction also shaped how Bhavani was written and eventually brought to the screen. Rather than presenting her as someone driven purely by the desire to control others, the filmmaker wanted to explore a woman caught between her position of authority, personal conflicts and the expectations of her community.

Why Dharmaraj Shetty Chose Keerthy Suresh For Bhavani

Playing Bhavani required an actor who could convincingly portray two contrasting sides of the same woman. She needed to be gentle and forgiving in one moment, yet commanding and ruthless when circumstances demanded it.

Shetty believed Keerthy Suresh was suited to this balance, particularly because the character required more than just an intimidating screen presence.

“Any actor playing Bhavani’s character needed to embody the duality in the character of being a queen and a gangster. A character with the gentle, forgiving side and also a harsher, fierce side, and Keerthy Suresh played this perfectly. She is 100% believable when she plays the soft side and equally convincing when she is kicking ass,” the director said.

While he was already confident about Keerthy's acting abilities, watching her perform the action sequences brought another dimension to the character. The actor, according to Shetty, contributed ideas that made Bhavani's fighting style distinctive and personal.

“There was no doubt about Keerthy’s acting skills, but what was exciting to see was her performing all the action bits. The grace and fierceness with which she did them was fun to witness. She brought in so much of her personality to the action – for example, her signature style of killing her enemies with her hair pin was a brilliant idea that came all from her,” he revealed.

How The Action In ‘Akka’ Was Designed

The action sequences in ‘Akka’ were developed with an emphasis on making them visually striking while remaining connected to the show's setting and characters. Instead of giving every character a similar fighting style, the makers worked on distinct combat techniques for different clans and tribes, drawing from their respective backgrounds and levels of fighting proficiency.

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The production also brought together female performers from different parts of the country to contribute to the action sequences. Keerthy Suresh and Pooja Mohanraj underwent extensive training to familiarise themselves with the fighting techniques associated with the region.

For Shetty, however, the action and power dynamics are only part of what makes Bhavani's story compelling. At its heart, ‘Akka’ follows a leader dealing with conflicts within herself and the world around her as she tries to understand her place both as a queen and as an individual.

“Akka is a story of a leader’s conflicts, both inner and world wise, and how she finds her path as a queen and an individual,” he said.

Written and directed by Dharmaraj Shetty and produced by YRF Entertainment, ‘Akka’ also features Radhika Apte, Tanvi Azmi, Mahesh Manjrekar, Anshuman Pushkar and Monica Panwar.

‘Akka’ is currently streaming on Netflix.