Raakh villain Akash Makhija reveals receiving death threats after show's release: ‘People want to kill me’

PRime Video's law-breaking dramatic event Raakh has generated warm reactions from viewers since its relinquish. Spell actor Akash Makhija has been widely praised for his portrayal of the antagonist Babu, the actor has also found himself at the centre of discussions for a very different reason. In an interview with Zoom, Akash recently revealed that the intensity of the audience's response has been so strong that he has even received death threats from viewers.Akash Makhija talks about receiving death threatsSpeaking about the reaction to his performance, Akash admitted that he is critical of his own work but hasn't had the time yet to watch Rakh. However, the audience's reaction to his character has come as a big validation for him. "When I watch myself on screen, I am very critical of my work. I can’t evaluate myself. The audience reviewing my work is the biggest thing for me. Whenever I open my Instagram DM, I see people want to kill me,” he said.The actor added that the messages he has been receiving reflect just how deeply viewers have connected with the story and how much they dislike his character. "Death threat se pata nahi kya kya aa raha hai (I don't even know what all is coming because of the death threats). The audience has accepted Babu. I am aware he’s the most hated character in the nation. Some messages even read that when Jayprakash (Ali Fazal) was beating him, we were cheering. There is a funny thing that happened. My mother watched the show and got emotional, but when Ali was beating me. That’s maa ki mamta (That's a mother's love)," he said.Despite the disturbing nature of some of the messages, Akash appears to view the audience's strong reaction as proof that his performance has had the intended impact.About RaakhRaakh is loosely inspired by one of India's most shocking criminal cases, the murders of Geeta Chopra and Sanjay Chopra in 1978. The series follows the abduction and killing of teenage siblings Suman and Sahil Arora in Delhi at a time when the city was considered relatively safe and trusting.The story centres on two criminals, Rajjo (Ramandeep Yadav) and Babu (Akash), whose actions leave a nation horrified. Their crime devastates the victims' parents, played by Sonali Bendre and Aamir Bashir, while police officer SI Jayprakash (Ali), leads the investigation and attempts to bring the perpetrators to justice.Created by Anusha Nandakumar, Sandeep Saket and Prosit Roy, Raakh also stars Anshul Chauhan, Rakesh Bedi, Divya Sharma and Vivaan Sharma. The series has received positive reviews from viewers and is currently streaming on Prime Video.