Actor Akash Makhija has revealed that real-life incidents of violence he witnessed during his years at a government boys' school directly informed his portrayal of a psychopathic serial killer in the streaming series 'Raakh'. The actor, who has been drawing widespread praise for the role, spoke about his character-building process during the show's promotional activities in Mumbai on 19 June.

The Character: Who Is Babu

In 'Raakh', Makhija plays Babu, a serial killer and rapist who, alongside his partner Rajjo, terrorises people across India. The actor described Babu as a deeply narcissistic figure driven by a sense of absolute entitlement.

'He is a narcissist and he believes that the world revolves around him. And he has the ‘main character energy’, I feel. And whatever he thinks the people around him are, they are just a small part of his own story. And he’ll take what he wants and he’ll just hunt for it,' Makhija said. He added that his guiding principle was clear: 'For Babu, I felt that he’ll ask for it and if he doesn’t get it, he’ll take it. So, not even for once I thought that I should sympathize with the character.'

School Memories That Shaped the Role

Makhija credited much of his preparation to observations from his own upbringing rather than extensive external research. He recalled witnessing students scratch each other with tools from geometry boxes — a detail that lodged itself in his memory and resurfaced while building the character.

'I grew up in a government boys’ school. And I’ve seen brutal things happening in my own class. I’ve seen people scratching each other with tools in the geometry box. I’ve seen a lot of such things happening in schools,' he said. 'I’ve seen so many brutal things, I can’t even talk about it,' he added.

Script as the Foundation

Beyond personal observation, Makhija emphasised that the writing itself did much of the heavy lifting. He noted that the character's psychology was so precisely rendered on the page that he did not feel the need to search far for motivation.

'It’s written that way. If you see throughout the script, it’s the whole character, it’s written. You don’t have to search a lot about it because it’s on there, it’s in the script,' he said. He also acknowledged that such characters are ultimately drawn from society itself: 'These characters are also part of the society.'

The 'Raakh' Ensemble

The series features a prominent ensemble cast including Ali Fazal, Sonali Bendre, Aamir Bhashir, Ramandeep Yadav, Prosit Roy, Anusha Nandkumar, and Sandeep Sanket. The show's positive reception suggests that Makhija's unsettling, research-grounded approach to the role has resonated with audiences.

With 'Raakh' generating strong early response, attention will now turn to whether the series sustains its momentum and how Makhija's performance is received during awards consideration.