Karuthamuthu

Karuthamuthu
കറുത്തമുത്ത്
Genre
Written byPradeep Panicker
Story byPradeep Panicker
Directed byPraveen Kadakkavoor
Country of originIndia
Original languageMalayalam
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes1450[1]
Production
ProducerAlthahir Rasheed
Production locationKerala
CinematographyHemachandran
B.Kumar
EditorAjith Dev Pothencode
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time22 minutes
Original release
NetworkAsianet
Release20 October 2014 (2014-10-20) –
9 August 2019 (2019-08-09)
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 an Indian Malayalam-language television soap opera that premiered on Asianet on 20 October 2014. It aired for five years and ran for 1,450 episodes across four seasons, making it one of the longest ran television serials.[2] It is a sequel to the 2011 television series Kumkumapoovu, with the narrative set after the events of the earlier series and focusing on a different family. Illekettu Namboothiri reprised his role as Satyasheelan from Kumkumapoovu.[3]

The series was also adapted into multiple television serials in other Indian languages, including Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Bengali, and Kannada.

Plot

Season 1

Karthika, a dark-skinned young woman raised by her stepfather Shekaran, grows up facing neglect and discrimination, while her stepsister Kanya is favoured. During a marriage alliance visit, Balachandran chooses Karthika over Kanya, while Jayachandran later marries Kanya. Unknown to Karthika, Balachandran had earlier been falsely told that he was infertile as part of a scheme orchestrated by Mareena, who was in love with him. Shekaran suppresses this information and allows the marriage to proceed. When Karthika later becomes pregnant, Balachandran suspects her fidelity, and Mareena exploits the situation further, leading Karthika to leave the household.

Season 2

Five years later, Karthika and her daughter are found living in hardship and are brought back by Balachandran’s family. Their return triggers renewed conflict, particularly with Mareena and Shekaran, who seek to eliminate them. Following an accident, Karthika loses her memory and comes under the care of Dr. Arun. The season also includes Jayachandran’s death, Kanya’s imprisonment for killing Mareena, and the eventual reunion of Karthika, Balachandran, and their daughter, before further family tensions emerge.

Season 3

After an 18-year leap, Balachandrika, the daughter of Karthika and Balachandran, becomes a sub-collector, and the story shifts to her life. Her relationship with Podimol, her cousin, becomes central, particularly as both are connected to Abhiram. Bala secretly marries Abhiram, while family tensions, misunderstandings, and later violence continue to shape their lives. After Bala gives birth, her daughter is believed lost following an accident, but the child survives and is raised elsewhere through adoption.

Season 4

Six years later, the child, Muthu, is growing up with her adoptive family. Subsequent events lead Bala and Abhiram to discover that Muthu is their lost daughter. The revelation causes emotional strain between both families, but a shared arrangement is eventually made for Muthu’s upbringing. The series concludes with the family reaching a reconciliation and Nathan departing on a pilgrimage.

Cast

Seasons 1 and 2 (2014 – 2017)

Seasons 3 and 4 (2017 – 2019)

  • Rini Raj as Balachandrika Abhiram IAS
  • 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

Production

Karuthamuthu was directed by Praveen Kadakkavoor from a screenplay by Pradeep Panicker. The series was developed around the social issue of colourism, with its central storyline focusing on a dark-skinned woman who faces discrimination because of her complexion.[6]

In the first and second seasons, the lead actors were Kishor Satya and Richard N. J. who played Balachandran and Jayachandran respectively. The role of Karthika was the Malayalam television debut of actress Premi Viswanath while Saranya Sasi played the antagonist role, Kanya.[7]

In December 2015, Premi Viswanath was replaced by Renu Soundar.[8] Saranya Sasi was replaced by Lekshmi Priya as Saranya diagnosed with Cancer which caused her death in 2021.[9] Later Kishor Satya exited from the show, as the character become sidelined.[10]

From third season, Rini Raj, Pradeep Chandran and Darshana Das played lead roles. Niya and Shalu Menon played Middle aged Karthika and Kanya respectively.[11]

Adaptations

Language Title Original release Network(s) Last aired Notes Ref.
Malayalam Karuthamuthu
കറുത്തമുത്ത്		 20 October 2014 Asianet 9 August 2019 Original
Telugu Karthika Deepam
కార్తీక దీపం		 16 October 2017 Star Maa 21 January 2023 Remake [12]
Kannada Muddulakshmi
ಮುದ್ದುಲಕ್ಷ್ಮಿ		 22 January 2018 Star Suvarna 26 August 2023 [13]
Tamil Bharathi Kannamma
பாரதி கண்ணம்மா		 25 February 2019 Star Vijay 6 August 2023 [14]
Marathi Rang Majha Vegla
रंग माझा वेगळा		 30 October 2019 Star Pravah 3 September 2023 [15]
Hindi Kartik Purnima
कार्तिक पूर्णिमा		 3 February 2020 Star Bharat 27 March 2020 [16]
Bengali Anurager Chhowa
অনুরাগের ছোঁয়া		 7 February 2022 Star Jalsha 30 November 2025 [17]
Hindi Yeh Jhuki Jhuki Si Nazar
ये झुकी झुकी सी नज़र		 7 March 2022 StarPlus 25 June 2022 [18]
Dil Ko Tumse Pyaar Hua
दिल को तुमसे प्यार हुआ		 15 July 2024 17 February 2025 [19]

Reception

Karuthamuthu received positive response from audiences following its premiere on Asianet. The series significantly improved the channel's 10:00 PM time slot, recording around a 400% increase in ratings within four weeks of its launch.[20] Due to high popularity, the show was moved to primetime of 7.30 PM and for almost 4 years it maintained top 5 positions in TRP rankings.[21][22] In May 2018, producer Althahir Rasheed stated that the show's sustained popularity and increasing viewership had prompted the writer to expand the storyline by introducing several new characters and extending it into a three-generation narrative. He also confirmed that the series would conclude within 1,500 episodes.[23] From 29 April 2019, the show was moved to evening slot of 6.30 PM for final episodes.[24]

Controversy

In December 2015, lead actress Premi Viswanath, who portrayed Karthika, alleged that she had been removed from Karuthamuthu without prior notice. In a Facebook post, she stated that she had paid only 1500 per day and when she demanded hike they removed from the show and claimed that the production team later cited her participation in a television programme on Flowers TV as the reason for her removal. She denied reports that she had voluntarily left the serial.[25][26]

The serial's director, Praveen Kadakkavoor, denied Premi's allegations, stating that the decision to replace her had been made earlier due to production-related issues, including dissatisfaction with her performance and alleged professional conduct. He also said that her appearance on another television channel was only the contractual reason cited for her removal, rather than the primary reason.[27]

References

  1. ↑ "Karuthamuthu serial crosses 1400 episodes". The Times of India. 10 July 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  2. ↑ M., Athira (24 September 2015). "Gem of a role". The Hindu. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  3. ↑ "'ഒരിക്കലും പ്രതീക്ഷിച്ചില്ല ആളുകള്‍ക്ക് എന്നോട് ദേഷ്യമാണെന്ന് ' ;ഇല്ലിക്കെട്ട് നമ്പൂതിരി" (in Malayalam). 25 September 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  4. ↑ Soman, Deepa (11 November 2014). "I am happy to play Karthika of Karuthamuthu: Premi Vishwanath". The Times of India. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  5. ↑ "Akshara Kishor: Bala Mol of 'Karuthamuthu' Fame". www.ibtimes.com.
  6. ↑ "Gem of a role". The Hindu. 24 September 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  7. ↑ "I am happy to play Karthika of Karuthamuthu: Premi Vishwanath". The Times of India. 11 November 2014. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  8. ↑ "Premi not in Karuthamuthu anymore?". The Times of India. 12 December 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  9. ↑ "Richard Jose remembers late actress Saranya: She used to bring home-made food for me on the sets, I still cherish the gift she gave for my wedding". The Times of India. 21 September 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  10. ↑ "കറുത്തമുത്തില്‍ നിന്നും എന്തിന് പിന്‍മാറി; കിഷോര്‍ സത്യ പറയുന്നു". Asianet News. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  11. ↑ "കറുത്തമുത്തുകൾ ഇപ്പോൾ എവിടെ എന്നറിയോ? ഒരാൾ യു കെയിൽ; തിരക്കിലാണ് നാല് പേരും!". Samayam Malayalam. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  12. ↑ "Popular Telugu TV show 'Karthika Deepam' to conclude on THIS date; deets inside". The Times of India. 9 January 2023.
  13. ↑ "I used to get hate messages for portraying Dhuvanth's role in Muddulakshmi, says Charith Balappa". The Times of India. 4 May 2021.
  14. ↑ "தெலுங்கு மற்றும் மலையாளத்தில் ஒளிபரப்பாகி வரும் பாரதி கண்ணம்மாவில் நடிப்பது இவங்க தான்". Behind Talkies. 15 November 2019.
  15. ↑ "TV show 'Anurager Chhowa' completes one year". The Times of India. 7 February 2023.
  16. ↑ "Do you know upcoming show 'Anurager Chhowa' is the remake of Malayalam daily soap 'Karuthamuthu'?". The Times of India. 22 January 2022.
  17. ↑ "'Anurager Chhowa' completes 100 episodes". The Times of India. 4 May 2021.
  18. ↑ "Dibyojyoti Dutta-Swastika Ghosh starrer 'Anurager Chhowa' completes 300 episodes; team celebrates with cake-cutting on set". The Times of India. 4 April 2023.
  19. ↑ "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.
  20. ↑ "Karuthamuthu skyrockets week by week, Asianet records 400% growth @ 10 PM slot". MediaNews4U. 19 November 2014. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  21. ↑ "TRPs: Vanambadi is the most watched daily soap; Karuthamuthu slips to 5th place". The Times of India. 5 January 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  22. ↑ "Vanambadi continues to rule the TRP charts; Kasthooriman slips to 4th place". The Times of India. 19 December 2018. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  23. ↑ "Why serials chase the 1000 episode mark". The Times of India. 28 May 2018. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  24. ↑ "Karutha Muthu Serial Time Changed into 6.30 P.M on Asianet from 29th April 2019". The Times of India. 29 April 2019. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  25. ↑ "Why is there a new karuthamuthu?". The Times of India. 13 December 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  26. ↑ "Premi not in Karuthamuthu anymore?". The Times of India. 8 December 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
  27. ↑ "Karuthamuthu serial director Praveen Kadakkavoor reacts to Premi Viswanath's Facebook post". International Business Times. 10 December 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2026.
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