Keerthy Suresh has a big birthday gift for her fans. Netflix on Saturday, October 17 – the actor's birthday – released the teaser of Akka, the Yash Raj Entertainment gangster series in which she shares the screen with Radhika Apte, and confirmed that the show will start streaming on October 30.
The Akka teaser, which runs under two minutes, gives the first proper look at the world of the show. The series marks Keerthy's streaming debut and is being described as the biggest bet yet for YRF's streaming arm.
What the Akka teaser shows
The teaser opens a window into Pernuru, a fictional kingdom-like town set in the 1980s that has been built, ruled and protected by generations of women. Keerthy plays Bhavani and Radhika Apte plays Rudra, and the clip sets them up on opposite sides of a power struggle laced with old traditions, rivalries and shifting loyalties.
The look is earthy and period-heavy – dusty streets, temple towns, bold costumes – and the mood is unmistakably that of a gangster saga, only with women at its centre rather than on the sidelines. Veteran actor Tanvi Azmi also appears in a key role.
Akka: quick facts
| Title | Akka |
| Platform | Netflix |
| Premiere date | October 30, 2026 |
| Lead cast | Keerthy Suresh (Bhavani), Radhika Apte (Rudra) |
| Also starring | Tanvi Azmi |
| Writer-director | Dharmaraj Shetty (debut) |
| Producers | YRF Entertainment – Aditya Chopra, Yogendra Mogre, Akshaye Widhani |
| Setting | Fictional town of Pernuru, 1980s South India |
| Genre | Period gangster drama |
The story so far
The plot centres on two women who run a matriarchal underworld in Pernuru. Their hold on the town is threatened when an outsider arrives and challenges their rule, setting off a violent fight for survival and control.
That premise is what makes Akka stand out. Indian gangster dramas, from the Hindi heartland sagas to Tamil and Telugu mass films, have mostly been male-led. Here, the power, the politics and the violence all sit with the women, and the teaser leans into that.
A long road to the screen
Akka has been in the works for a while. Filming began in late 2023, and the first look was unveiled at a Netflix event in Mumbai in early 2025, where the two leads were introduced as "gangster queens". The October 30 date was locked last month, and the teaser now kicks off the final promotional push.
It is the third series from the Yash Raj Entertainment and Netflix India partnership, after The Railway Men and Mandala Murders. The banner, run by Aditya Chopra, has been building its streaming slate steadily, and Akka is being positioned as its flagship show so far.
Who is Dharmaraj Shetty?
Akka is the first directorial outing for Dharmaraj Shetty, who has also written the series. Handing a debutant a tentpole show of this size is a statement of confidence from YRF, which has generally preferred experienced filmmakers for its big projects. The teaser suggests Shetty has gone for scale – crowd scenes, period sets and a deliberately slow-burn build-up – rather than a quick, punchy cut.
Why it matters for viewers
For Keerthy Suresh, a National Award winner best known for her work in Tamil and Telugu cinema, this is a chance to reach a pan-India streaming audience in a role far removed from her girl-next-door image. Radhika Apte, on the other hand, is a familiar Netflix face and brings experience of carrying intense, morally grey characters.
The pairing of a southern star with a Hindi streaming regular, under a Mumbai banner, also reflects how OTT platforms are now chasing stories that work across language markets rather than in just one.
October is busy on Netflix
Akka arrives at the end of a packed month for Indian streaming, with several new Hindi and South Indian titles landing on platforms in the second half of October. A late-month release gives it a clear runway into the first November weekend, when viewing usually picks up after the festive season.
What happens next
With under two weeks to go, expect a full trailer and more character posters before the October 30 premiere. Netflix has not yet detailed the number of episodes. Fans can watch the teaser on Netflix India's official channels and add the show to their watchlist ahead of release.
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