Prime Video’s Raakh has left audiences shaken, and much of the conversation has centred around its villains. Akash Makhija and Ramandeep Yadav, who essay the roles of Babu and Rajjo, have been at the receiving end of intense hate from viewers. The hate coming their way has turned into the biggest milestone of their careers, with the duo bagging the first award of their decade-long journey in the industry.
Akash Makhija, Ramandeep Yadav get IMDb STARmeter Awards
On Wednesday, it was revealed that the Raakh actors have been presented with the IMDb ‘Breakout Star’ STARmeter Awards.
The award recognises strong performers on the Popular Indian Celebrities list published on the IMDb app. The list charts the page views of the more than 250 million monthly visitors to IMDb worldwide. Akash ranked No. 1 and Ramandeep ranked No. 4 on the Popular Indian Celebrities list in the week after the show’s release.
Opening up about the award, Akash said, “The IMDb Breakout Star is the very first award in the 13-year journey of my acting career. I am deeply grateful to the platform and all the fans for making this beautiful milestone a reality. My DMs are filled with hate messages. Thank you for hating my character and giving me this award.”
“The love that Raakh has received since its release has been overwhelming, and seeing that translate into recognition on a platform like IMDb is truly rewarding. Being ranked the most popular Indian celebrity of the week on IMDb within 10 days of the show releasing is something I never imagined, and I am grateful to everyone who watched the series and supported my performance,” Akash added. He revealed that he was initially rejected for the role of Babu, mentioning that “somehow, I got a call for another round and finally got the part”.
For Ramandeep, getting the breakout star award feels surreal. “It is the first award of my acting career. Every actor dreams of having their work noticed and appreciated, and to receive a recognition that is driven by the audience makes it even more meaningful. The response to Raakh has been incredible, and I am deeply grateful to everyone who invested their time and emotions into the story and my character Rajjo,” Ramandeep shared.
Ramandeep continued, “I didn’t research for the role per se, but did research on serial killers. One thing that stood out was always their eyes. It was brutal and menacing, and I wanted to pass that on to the audience. The makers of the series never wanted to glorify our characters, but to portray the feelings of the parents who lost their children. I cried when I read the script because I had to play this part.”
More about Raakh
Raakh is inspired by the abduction and murder of siblings Geeta (16) and Sanjay (14) Chopra in New Delhi by criminals Kuljeet Singh (alias Ranga) and Jasbir Singh (alias Billa) in 1978. The show, directed by Prosit Roy, Anusha Nandakumar, and Sandeep Saket, weaves a fictional narrative inspired by the case.
Raakh has received positive reviews since its release on June 12. Hindustan Times gave the show 3.5 stars. The review read: “Raakh is not for bingeing. It is not for snack-sized consumption. It is meant to be experienced. It is Test cricket in the age of T20, a piece of art that demands your time and undivided attention. It leaves you feeling heavy and with questions about the unfairness in the world. But it also poses the same question Hannah Arendt posed in her 1963 book, Eichmann in Jerusalem – is evil truly banal?” The show stars Sonali Bendre, Ali Fazal, Aamir Bashir, Rakesh Bedi, and Anshul Chauhan in pivotal roles.