Anshumaan Pushkar embraces crime stories breaking the mould with Akka: 'A world ruled by women'

Anshumaan Pushkar

Exploration is the key to variety and growth - all actors believe that. So, when Anshumaan Pushkar got the opportunity to be part of a story that challenges conventional dynamics in crime dramas, he leapt at it. The icing on the cake? Working with YRF Entertainment, a dream he had long harboured. "The scale, the detailing, and the vision they bring to storytelling is inspiring," says the actor.

His upcoming period thriller, Akka, helmed by debutant director Dharmaraj Shetty, is set in the 1980s, in the fictional South Indian town of Pernuru, which has a matriarchal stronghold, where power lies in the hands of gangster queens. A brutal power struggle erupts when an outsider disrupts their hierarchy. The Maalik actor says, "Collaborating with a director like Dharmaraj Shetty, who has such a distinct voice and approach, is an experience I will cherish. I've read many crime shows before, but here, the energy is different. You're stepping into a world ruled by women, and that makes you think twice about every move your character makes. It's thrilling and refreshing at the same time. It's not about women mimicking men in a violent world. These women create their own empire, their own code. It's fascinating."

Starring opposite powerhouses like Radhika Apte and Keerthy Suresh only raised the stakes. Pushkar found it "inspiring and challenging". "As an actor, I'm always looking for roles that push me out of my comfort zone, and Akka does exactly that," he concludes.

One project at a time

2020-2022: ‘Jamtara'
2021: ‘Kathmandu Connection'
2021: ‘Grahan'
2023: ‘12th Fail'
2025: ‘Maalik'