Abhiroop Das
Written and directed by Dharmaraj Shetty, Netflix’s ‘Akka’ builds its narrative around a social order that has no clear equivalent in the historical record of India. The kingdom of Pernuru, depicted as a flourishing matriarchy that has maintained its sovereignty for over eight centuries, is pushed into a state of peril after the arrival of Rudra, a mysterious outsider with ties to the Mumbai mafia. Bhavani, the leader or Akka of these lands, thus takes it upon herself to deal with Rudra, and in the process learns more about the multifaceted past of her own dynasty. By the end of the first season, Rudra is defeated, but we are met with new information about the mafia that makes its connection to Pernuru more complicated than ever. While Netflix hasn’t renewed a sequel as of writing, in the best-case scenario, fans can expect a second season around 2028 to 2029.
Akka Season 2 Can Focus on Bhavani Vs. Shankar
With season 1 of ‘Akka’ ending with a cliffhanger revelation that recontextualizes the entire story, a sequel might be on the horizon. Following Rudra’s death, Shankar Dada seems to have made up his mind to go to Pernuru and wage war personally, just as Bhavini sets her mind on striking him right where it hurts: his illegal markets. If season 1’s clash was already a spectacle, this will likely be an even greater affair. However, whether or not we get to revisit this unique world once again depends entirely on Netflix’s decision to greenlight another season.
When renewing shows, Netflix typically gauges the number of views and engagement a title got, and then compares it to the production budget, which in the case of ‘Akka’ is likely to be a substantial amount. However, luckily we already have a precedent for a women-led Netflix historical epic getting a second season, in the form of ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar.’ With fans giving a similar level of love and attention to ‘Akka,’ there is a good chance for a continuation to be ordered. However, the creators have nonetheless ensured that the story has a satisfactory ending for most of the plot beats and character arcs introduced in this run, with Rudra’s death marking a major point of evolution in the overarching narrative.
Akka Season 2 Will Likely Not Feature Radhika Apte’s Character
The final stretch of season 1 is among the bloodiest bits of TV we have seen in a hot minute, and with a lot of character deaths, major shakeup in the cast for a sequel is expected. The most defining death is that of Rudra, the major antagonist of the show, who kills herself in the face of defeat by Bhavani. As such, a potential season 2 is unlikely to have Radhika Apte reappear for active action. But there is a possibility that she might grace the screen once again in the form of a flashback. Along the same lines, Keerthy Suresh is expected to continue in the role of Bhavani. On the other hand, the elusive figure of Shankar is expected to take center stage with the reveal that he is Bhavani’s father and has his eyes on the throne of Pernuru. Thus, Mahesh Manjrekar is very likely to occupy the screen once again and fill in the antagonistic vacuum.
Moreover, with the show’s sole gentle arc, that is, the love story of Bhavani and Nanda culminating in the latter’s death, Vishak Nair is unlikely to reprise his role in any major capacity. The same holds true for Tanvi Azmi, who essays the role of Mutthakka, one of the matriarchs of Pernuru who meets her end during the course of the story. With Rudra’s ally Amar also meeting a similar fate, Anshuman Pushkar is unlikely to return for a possible continuation. In the same vein, Murari Kumar and Saisha Devi will not reappear in the roles of Umeshanna and Kaveri, who are killed early in the story. As such, a new run of characters is expected to take over the screen to fill the roles of Bhavani’s allies and enemies in a potential second season, and, in the process, a wholly fresh cast can become part of the project.
Akka Season 2 Might Amp up the Story’s Social Commentary
While season 1 ends with Bhavani defeating her arch-nemesis, Rudra, it’s not as if her side is without fault either. On the contrary, the show offers multiple brief glimpses into Pernuru’s problematic past, where the triad of sisters often functioned as oppressive monarchs. To mend those historical mistakes, Bhavani ends the first season by instating the leaders of the Kathavas and the Jherums as equal to her in power. However, that doesn’t mean that the social structure of the kingdom has been reset, as it is now up to the people to cast aside the tools of oppression. Interestingly, we also see a patriarchal faction develop for a brief period of time in the finale, and while Bhavani is able to crush them for now, the faction will likely return to challenge her authority sooner rather than later.
Another major theme introduced in the final stretch of the season is that of sacrifice, be it of one’s personal ambitions or feelings. With Bhavani killing Nanda, the romantic side of her story has seemingly come to an end, but that also means that she essentially has nothing left to lose. With Shankar planning to bring the fight to Pernuru once again, Bhavani might eventually face similarly difficult decisions as her mother once did. However, what separates this time is that she has a support system that has evolved with the times and is prepared to take on any challenge.
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