Karuthamuthu
| Karuthamuthu | |
|---|---|
 | |
| കറുത്തമുത്ത് | |
| Genre | |
| Written by | Pradeep Panicker |
| Directed by | Praveen Kadakkavoor |
| Country of origin | India |
| Original language | Malayalam |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 1450[1] |
| Production | |
| Production location | Kerala |
| Cinematography | Hemachandran B.Kumar |
| Editor | Ajith Dev Pothencode |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 22 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | Asianet |
| Release | 20 October 2014 – 9 August 2019 |
| Related | |
| Karthika Deepam Muddulakshmi Bharathi Kannamma Rang Majha Vegla Dil Ko Tumse Pyaar Hua Anurager Chhowa Kartik Purnima Yeh Jhuki Jhuki Si Nazar | |
Karuthamuthu (transl. Black Pearl) is a 2014 Indian television Malayalam language serial that launched on Asianet channel on 20 October 2014. It is the one of the longest ran television soap opera on Malayalam television, having aired for five years and consisting of 1,450 episodes across four seasons.[2] It is a spin-off of the 2011 TV series Kumkumapoovu. In this the story takes place after the events of Kumkumapoovu in another families. Illekettu Namboothiri reprises his role of Satyasheelan from the predecessor.[3]
It is the first Malayalam serial to be remade in eight other Indian serials and six different Indian languages such as Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Bengali and Kannada.
Plot
[edit]Season 1
[edit]Karthika, a dark-skinned girl, is raised by her stepfather Shekaran, who never shows her love and always favors his biological daughter, Kanya. Though constantly mistreated, Karthika grows up kind, mature, and emotionally strong.
During a traditional bride-seeing ceremony, Balachandran and his younger brother Jayachandran visit Shekaran’s home. Kanya assumes Balachandran will choose her, but he is captivated by Karthika’s sincerity. Meanwhile, Jayachandran silently admires Kanya. Unexpectedly, Balachandran chooses Karthika, leaving Kanya heartbroken.
A major twist unfolds later through Balachandran’s flashback. After surviving a serious accident, he was treated by a doctor whose daughter, Mareena, secretly loved him. Fearing he might fall for someone else, Mareena manipulates the situation by convincing her father to falsely declare Balachandran infertile. Heartbroken, Balachandran shares the issue only with Shekaran and asks him to inform Karthika, leaving the marriage decision to her. However, the cunning Shekaran wanting Karthika to suffer deliberately hides the truth and proceeds with the wedding.
Shekaran also arranges the marriage of Kanya with Jayachandran, believing it is a good alliance. Kanya, angry and disappointed, initially hates Jayachandran. But when she later discovers Balachandran’s supposed infertility, she accepts her fate and begins to genuinely love Jayachandran, who has always been kind to her.
Karthika, on the other hand, receives love from her in-laws and adjusts well in her new home. But when she becomes pregnant, Balachandran still under the belief that he is infertile starts suspecting her fidelity.
Sensing an opportunity to destroy their married life, Mareena approaches Karthika and tells her the same lie that Balachandran is infertile and is now suspecting her character. Mareena’s aim is to plant doubt, cause heartbreak, and ultimately break their bond, hoping Balachandran will turn to her.
Shocked, shattered, and unaware of the deep-rooted conspiracy, Karthika leaves home, heartbroken by both her husband's mistrust and Mareena’s cruel revelation.
Season 2
[edit]After 5 years, Nathan, Balachandran 's father finds Karthika and her daughter, Balachandrika roaming around in streets of Tamil Nadu and takes them back but Karthu is physically ill and admits her in a hospital without letting others know about her. The series takes a twist with Bala's arrival to Kaipamangalam.[4] Everyone refuses her except Balan. Later, Balachandran and family learn that Balamol is his own daughter at the same time Karthu's presence on the other hand Mareena and Balan's marriage was fixed, cruel Mareena learns that Balan is making a fool of her and plans to kill him. Mareena and Shekharan get to know that Karthu and her daughter is alive. They plan to kill them without anyone knowing about it. After an accident, Karthu loses her memory and is taken care by Dr. Arun. In an attempt to kill Balan unfortunately Jayan is killed by Mareena and Kanya becomes mentally unstable and later she gives birth to a baby girl. Balan suffers from cancer and leaves to Germany. Finally after series of events Kanya kills Mareena and is imprisoned. Podimol cared for by Karthu who remembers her past and is back at Kaipamangalam. Balan, Karthu and Bala reunite. Kunjusekharan becomes worried about Podimol as a fake astrologer predicts that Bala and Podimol cannot survive together at a place. Upon Kanya's release, Shekharan misleads her and takes her and Podimol away to live with him and his mother.
Season 3
[edit]After 18 years, Balachandrika becomes the sub-collector of the city and story goes around her life. Now the story shows the relationship between Balamol and Podimol. Balamol, being a collector, catches Podimol's wrongdoings and forms an instant dislike towards her, despite Bala's soft heart. Bala and Abhiram are in love with each other for a long time, but Podimol is attracted to Abhiram, too. Bala secretly marries Abhiram, without Podimol's knowledge. Later Bala's family reveals that Podimol is Bala's cousin and Bala regrets the marriage, and starts taking care of her, even though Podimol doesn't know that Bala is married to Abhiram. Aromal, Sadu's son tries to convey the message to Gayathri that Bala is already married to her love. Gayathri rejects this idea saying that her blood, her sister won't let her fail. On the other hand, Bala and Abhiram spend time secretly with each other in the fear of Gayathri learning about their marriage. Meanwhile, Bala conceives and Gayathri learns of it later. Suicidal, she's saved by Bala. After treatment under Dr. Arun, she starts afresh and marries Ganesh, a gentleman with a strict mother. The family learns of Balan's death in Germany and is heartbroken. Bala does all the rituals of her deceased father. She faints and is admitted to the hospital where she experiences severe pains. Her condition becomes critical when she is pushed from the stretcher by Stephen, a hitman hired by Shekharan. However, she survives the attack. Bala and Abhiram are blessed with a baby girl. The family rejoices. Meanwhile, Gayathri faces ill treatment from her mother-in-law who constantly berates her. However, her husband is supportive.
Bala gets into an accident caused by Stephen due to which she loses her daughter, Muthu, who, however, survives and is taken in by a church. Gayatri and Ganesh adopted Muthu without knowing that she is Bala's daughter. When Bala saw the child, she got some attraction towards the child. Gayatri and Ganesh raised Muthu with caring of Bala and Abhiram too.
Season 4
[edit]After 6 years, Muthu is studying in school, Ganesh's brother in law tries to kill Muthu for assets. But every plans backfired. After several incidents, Bala and Abhiram came to know that Muthu is their lost child. This made emotional up and downs between the couples, Bala- Abhiram and Gayatri- Ganesh. Finally Nathan bring Ganesh and Gayatri to their home and asked them to stay at the top fllor of their house and Bala and Abhiram in the ground floor. Muthu can live with caring of both couples. The series ends by showing Nathan leaves the home and going to pilgrimage this metting a happy ending.
Cast
[edit]Seasons 1 and 2 (2014 – 2017)
[edit]- Kishor Satya as Dr. Balachandran
- Premi Viswanath[5] / Renu Soundar as Karthika Balachandran: Balachandran's wife; Balachandrika's mother; Kanya's elder stepsister and sister-in-law; Mallika's daughter
- Archana Suseelan as Mareena
- Akshara Kishor as Balachandrika/Bala mol (200-775 episodes)[6]
- Richard N. J. as Jayachandran
- Saranya Sasi as Kanya (1 to 115 episodes)
- Lekshmi Priya replaced Saranya Sasi as Kanya (episodes 116 to 774)
- Santhosh Kurup as Ret Prof. Nathan
- Giridhar as Sreekanth
- Srihari as Kunju Shekharan
- Sreelatha Namboothiri as Shekharan's mother
- Dr. Sharmila as Jagadhamba
- Rajani Murali as Nandini
- Shobha Mohan as Arundhathi
- Devendranath as Dr. Arun
- Thara Kalyan as Mallika
- Akhil Nair as Aromal
- Jayakumar Parameswaran Pillai as Sadanam Sadu
- Arun Mohan as Stephen
- Shiju as Shankar Das
- Lishoy as Dr. Fernandus
- Balachandran Chullikkadu as Dr. Perumal
- Bindu Murali as Lakshmi Dathan
- Sree Padma as Anjana
- Pratheeksha G Pradeep as Raveena
- T.S.Raju as Abhi's ammavan
- Sarath Swamy as Amal
- Anand Narayan as Prem
- Cherthala Lalitha as Sadu's mother / Nathan's sister
- Lalitha as Mallika
- Sree Lakshmi as Anjana
- Illikettu Namboothiri as Sathyaseelan
- Dayana Hameed as Hima
Seasons 3 and 4 (2017 – 2019)
[edit]- Rini Raj as Balachandrika Abhiram IAS
- Akshara Kishore as young Balachandrika (Footage from season 1)
- Darshana Das as Gayathri Ganeshan (Podimol)
- Niya as Karthika Balachandran
- Pradeep Chandran as Commissioner Abhiram IPS
- Baby Kezhiya as Muthu
- Shalu Menon as Kanya Jayan
- Kiran Iyer as Ganeshan
- Santhosh Kurup as Ret Prof. Nathan
- Giridhar as Sreekanth
- Srihari as Kunju Shekharan
- Sreelatha Namboothiri as Shekharan's mother
- Dr. Sharmila as Jagadhamba
- Soniya Baiju Kottarakkara as Kaipatoor Kanaka
- Anoop Sivasenan as Sukeshan
- Niya as Karthika Balachandran
- Soorya Praveen as Ganga Sukeshan
- Bindu Ramakrishnan as Sukeshan's mother
- Babu Annur as Sukesan's father
Adaptations
[edit]| Language | Title | Original release | Network(s) | Last aired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malayalam | Karuthamuthu കറുത്തമുത്ത് |
20 October 2014 | Asianet | 9 August 2019 | Original |
| Telugu | Karthika Deepam[7] కార్తీక దీపం |
16 October 2017 | Star Maa | 21 January 2023 | Remake |
| Kannada | Muddulakshmi[8] ಮುದ್ದುಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಿ |
22 January 2018 | Star Suvarna | 26 August 2023 | |
| Tamil | Bharathi Kannamma[9] பாரதி கண்ணம்மா |
25 February 2019 | Star Vijay | 6 August 2023 | |
| Marathi | Rang Maza Vegla[10] रंग माझा वेगळा |
30 October 2019 | Star Pravah | 3 September 2023 | |
| Hindi | Kartik Purnima[11] कार्तिक पूर्णिमा |
3 February 2020 | Star Bharat | 27 March 2020 | |
| Bengali | Anurager Chhowa[12] অনুরাগের ছোঁয়া |
7 February 2022 | Star Jalsha | Ongoing | |
| Hindi | Yeh Jhuki Jhuki Si Nazar[13] ये झुकी झुकी सी नज़र |
7 March 2022 | StarPlus | 25 June 2022 | |
| Hindi | Dil Ko Tumse Pyaar Hua[14] दिल को तुमसे प्यार हुआ |
15 July 2024 | StarPlus | 17 February 2025 |
References
[edit]- ^ "Karuthamuthu serial crosses 1400 episodes". Retrieved 10 May 2025.
- ^ M., Athira (24 September 2015). "Gem of a role". The Hindu. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
- ^ "'ഒരിക്കലും പ്രതീക്ഷിച്ചില്ല ആളുകള്ക്ക് എന്നോട് ദേഷ്യമാണെന്ന് ' ;ഇല്ലിക്കെട്ട് നമ്പൂതിരി" (in Malayalam). Retrieved 10 May 2025.
- ^ "Serial Karuthamuthu - Story & Cast". www.mallumoviereporter.com.
- ^ Soman, Deepa (11 November 2014). "I am happy to play Karthika of Karuthamuthu: Premi Vishwanath". The Times of India. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
- ^ "Akshara Kishor: Bala Mol of 'Karuthamuthu' Fame". www.ibtimes.com.
- ^ "Popular Telugu TV show 'Karthika Deepam' to conclude on THIS date; deets inside". The Times of India. 9 January 2023.
- ^ "I used to get hate messages for portraying Dhuvanth's role in Muddulakshmi, says Charith Balappa". The Times of India. 4 May 2021.
- ^ "தெலுங்கு மற்றும் மலையாளத்தில் ஒளிபரப்பாகி வரும் பாரதி கண்ணம்மாவில் நடிப்பது இவங்க தான்". Behind Talkies. 15 November 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "TV show 'Anurager Chhowa' completes one year". The Times of India.
- ^ "Do you know upcoming show 'Anurager Chhowa' is the remake of Malayalam daily soap 'Karuthamuthu'?". The Times of India. 22 January 2022.
- ^ "'Anurager Chhowa' completes 100 episodes". The Times of India. 4 May 2021.
- ^ "Dibyojyoti Dutta-Swastika Ghosh starrer 'Anurager Chhowa' completes 300 episodes; team celebrates with cake-cutting on set". The Times of India. 4 April 2023.
- ^ "Dil Ko Tumse Pyaar Hua: Hindi remake of Bengali show Anurager Chhowa to air on Star Plus in July". Telegraph India. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
External links
[edit]- Karuthamuthu at IMDb