Akash Makhija Ramandeep Yadav Get First Award In Career For Raakh Amazon Prime Video Imdb Breakout Star Award

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.

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.”

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.

Sugandha Rawal has been writing about entertainment and lifestyle for over 13 years, and if there's one thing that's kept her going, it's a genuine love for storytelling. She completed her graduation in Journalism from the University of Delhi and went on to earn her Master of Media from IP University. Beginning her career in the fast-paced environment of news wire reporting, she learned the art of accuracy, speed, and storytelling under pressure. She later expanded her horizons in print journalism, where she honed her feature-writing skills and developed a keen eye for detail and narrative depth. These days, she's firmly rooted in digital journalism, adapting and evolving with a media landscape that never sits still. Over the years, Sugandha has covered everything from Bollywood and celebrity culture to wellness trends and lifestyle shifts. She enjoys spotting the drama behind headlines, the emotion behind interviews, and the details that others might miss. When she is not chasing the latest entertainment update or lifestyle trend, you will find her observing the cultural shifts that shape the stories we consume every day.Read More