New Delhi, Nov. 1 -- An ambitious premise, an elaborate period setting and a struggle for power between two women give Akka plenty to work with. Set in the imagined kingdom of Pernuru, where women have ruled for generations, the story moves back and forth from ancient times through British rule till the mid 1980s. Pernuru is divided into three powerful houses which fiercely guard their positions. But when a young woman arrives from Mumbai, bent on revenge, the fine balance of this matriarchal society is threatened.

Written and directed by Dharmaraj Shetty, Akka follows the conflict between Bhavani (Keerthy Suresh), an established matriarch who presides over Pernuru, and Rudra (Radhika Apte), an outsider driven by vengeance. In this socie...