Mumbai, Oct 22 Actor Radhika Apte says her upcoming gangster series “Akka” marks a departure from the realistic, independent films she has largely been associated with and the show required her to adopt a more “dramatic and stylised” approach to her performance.
The Netflix series is set in the 1980s in Pernuru, a fictional kingdom built, governed and protected by generations of women.
The story follows Bhavani, played by Keerthy Suresh, and Rudra, essayed by Apte, two formidable women whose differing perspectives and rivalries shape the power dynamics of the kingdom.
Apte, known for her performances in movies and shows such as “Sacred Games”, “Lust Stories”, “Andhadhun”, “Phobia” and “Badlapur”, said she was drawn to the role because it gave her the opportunity to explore a side of herself on screen that she had not portrayed before.
“I’m a challenger. Rudra was a character that I’ve not played before… It was dramatic, stylish, on surface level, and internally, there’s a lot of complexity, and she is a complex character. I feel I’ve known her now,” the actor told reporters here at the trailer launch of the show.
Apte said “Akka” required her to adapt a certain performance style, particularly in delivering dialogue and conveying emotions through expressions.
“We did some workshops and rehearsals but Hindi was a preparation for me. It is different from what I’ve done, because it is dramatic and filmy on a large scale.
“It is a gangster series, so it has got style, and normally I’m doing indie realistic work so it is different from that so it was hard to embody that and deliver everything with pause, a look and incorporate that into the rhythm of the character. It was interesting and fun to be part of. I’m grateful because I wouldn’t have myself in a character like this.”
Apte said she has always been fascinated towards playing characters that are ridden with “revenge”.
“…There are so many layers to her, her identity. I think there’s something broken and something sensationally strong about her, and when I looked at that, I felt I needed to take a bite of that,” she said.
“In the traditional set-up, I’m the baddie, but am I? That you will find out when the show releases,” she added.
Addressing the portrayal of women in the gangster world, Apte said the show should be viewed as a story about people rather than how women behave.
“It is a fictional story. If there’s an overlap with what men would do in a situation like that, I don’t know what the expectation is if there’s a woman. It is a story about gangs and there happens to be women gangsters. It is the story of people,” she said.
Produced by YRF Entertainment, “Akka” is written and directed by Dharmaraj Shetty. It will premiere on Netflix on October 30.
(PTI News)
