Kayal (TV series)
| Kayal | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Family drama |
| Screenplay by | Karthik Yuvaraj Iyyappan Sabapathy (dialogues) Karthik Yuvraj |
| Directed by | P. Selvam |
| Creative director | Vaidehi Ramamoorthy |
| Starring | |
| Opening theme | "Kanne Kanne Kanninmaniye Nee Kelamma" K. S. Chitra (vocals) Pa. Vijay (lyrics) |
| Country of origin | India |
| Original language | Tamil |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| Production | |
| Production location | Tamil Nadu |
| Cinematography | U. K. Senthil Kumar |
| Editors |
|
| Production companies |
|
| Original release | |
| Network | Sun TV |
| Release | 25 October 2021 – present |
Kayal is a 2021 Indian Tamil-language television series starring Chaitra Reddy and Sanjeev Karthik,[1] which is loosely based on the Tamil film Manathil Urudhi Vendum.
It premiered on 25 October 2021 on Sun TV, airing from Monday to Saturday, and is also available on the digital platform Sun NXT. The show is directed by P. Selvam and produced by Vision Time India Private Limited in association with Sun Entertainment.
Synopsis
Abandoned by her father & coping with an alcoholic brother Moorthy, Kayal works as a nurse to become her family's sole provider. She finds happiness in her sacrifice to meet the needs of her brother: Moorthy[2] and Anbu & sisters: Devi and Anandhi. Watch Kayal stand tall in her selfless journey.
Cast
Main
- Chaitra Reddy as Kayalvizhi "Kayal" Ezhilarasan: Muthuvel and Kamatchi's daughter, Moorthy, Devi, Anandhi and Anbu's sister, Ezhilarasan's Wife; (2021–present) (Main Protagonist)
- Sanjeev Karthick as Ezhilarasan "Ezhil" / Kabilan Rajasekhar: Rajasekhar and Sivasankari's son, Kayal's husband (2021–present) (Main Protagonist)
Recurring
- Meenakumari as Kamatchi Muthuvel: Muthuvel's widow; mother of Moorthy, Kayal, Devi, Anandhi, and Anbu; grandmother of Anu and Kavin (2021–present)
- Ayyappan / Vishwanathan Shyam as Moorthy Muthuvel: Kamatchi and Muthuvel's eldest son; elder brother of Kayal, Devi, Anbu, and Anandhi; Dhanam's husband; Anu's father (2021–2025 / 2025–present)
- Janaki Devi / Subha Geetha as Dhanalakshmi "Dhanam" Moorthy: Moorthy's wife; Anu's mother (2021–2024 / 2024–present)
- Baby Dechina as Anu Kutty alias Anu Moorthy: Moorthy and Dhanam's daughter; Kamatchi and Muthuvel's granddaughter (2021–present)
- Ishwarya Ravichandran / Nila Gracy as Devi Vigneshwaran: Kamatchi and Muthuvel's younger daughter; sister of Moorthy, Kayal, Anbu, and Anandhi; Vignesh's wife; Kavin's mother (2021–2023 / 2023–present)
- Avinash Ashok / Harry / Jeeva Rajendran as Inspector Anbuselvan "Anbu" Muthuvel: Kamatchi and Muthuvel's younger son; brother of Moorthy, Kayal, Devi, and Anandhi; Shalini's husband (2022 / 2022 / 2022–present)
- Unknown / Sathyapriya Sivasamy as Shalini Anbuselvan: Chandrasekhar and Vedhavalli's daughter; Vignesh's sister; Anbu's wife (2022–2023 / 2023–present)
- Abinavya Deepak as Anandhi Muthuvel: Kamatchi and Muthuvel's youngest daughter; sister of Moorthy, Kayal, Devi, and Anbu (2021–present)
- Vazhakku En Muthuraman as Dharmalingam: Vadivu's husband; father of Subramani and Aarthi (Antagonist turned protagonist) (2021–present)
- Sumangali as Vadivukarasi "Vadivu" Dharmalingam: Dharmalingam's wife; mother of Subramani and Aarthi (Antagonist) (2021–present)
- Fawaz Zayani as Subramaniyam "Subramani" Dharmalingam: Dharmalingam and Vadivu's son; Aarthi's brother; Pavithra's husband (Antagonist) (2021–present)
- Hensha Deepan as Pavithra Subramaniyam: Subramaniyam's wife (2023–present)
- Kiran Mai as Aarthi Anand: Dharmalingam and Vadivu's daughter; Subramani's sister; Anand's wife (2021–present)
- Rothit Balaiah as Anand: Ezhil's best friend; Aarthi's husband (2021–present)
- VM Rajesh Kanna as Chandrasekhar: Vedhavalli's husband; father of Vignesh and Shalini (2021–2024)
- Hema Srikanth as Vedhavalli "Valli" Chandrasekhar: Chandrasekhar's wife; mother of Vignesh and Shalini (Antagonist) (2021–present)
- Gopi as Vigneshwaran "Vignesh" Chandrasekhar: Chandrasekhar and Vedhavalli's son; Shalini's brother; Devi's husband; Kavin's father (2021–present)
- Muralidhar Raj as Rajasekhar: Sivasankari's husband; Ezhil's father (2021–2025)
- Gayatri Jayaraman / Uma Riyaz Khan as Sivasankari Rajasekhar: Rajasekhar's wife; Ezhil's mother (2021–2022 / 2022–present) (Main antagonist)
Other Cast
- Sebastian as Petter Arumugam: Moorthy's worker; Kayal's foster family member (2021–present)
- Ghouse Nisha as Uma: Ezhil's one-sided obsessive lover and Kayal's rival; (2021–present)
- Arandhangi Manjula as Uma's mother (2021–2022)
- Varun Udhai as Dr. Gowtham: Kayal's rival (Main antagonist) (2021–2025)
- Annapoorani as Vanitha: A nurse and Gowtham's followers; (Antagonist) (2021–2025)
- Jeganathan as Ex-MLA Sethusingam: Vedhavalli's brother (2021–present)
- Swathi Reddy as Ramya: Kayal's best friend (2021–2023)
- Suruli as Hospital Dean (2022–2024)
- Birla Bose as Inspector Vajravel (2023–2025)
- Reehana as Prabhu's mother (2023)
- Ravikumar as Prabhu's father (2023)
- Sidharth Kapilavayi as Prabhu (2023)
- J. Durai Raj as Manoj
Special appearances
- Bala Singh as Muthuvel: Kamatchi's husband; Moorthy, Kayal, Anbu, Devi and Anandhi's father; Anu and Kavin's grandfather (posthumous photographic appearance)
- Bharathi Mohan as young Muthuvel (2025; in flashbacks only)
- Gabriella Sellus as Sundari (2022) from Sundari
- Jishnu Menon as Karthick (2022) from Sundari
- Riya Manoj as Abhirami (2022)
- Nidhish Kutty as Ilamukhil (2022)
- Aadhish Jatti Jaganathan as Sumo (2022)
- Nimeshika Radhakrishnan as Meera (2022)
- Rahul Ravi as Yuva (2022)
- Vadivukkarasi as Rajalakshmi (2023)
- Aila Syed as Kayal and Ezhil’s daughter in dreams (2023)
- Baladitya as Suryakumar: Kayal's fake husband (2023)
- Anusha Prathap as Eshwari (2023)
- Chandra Lakshman as Rajalakshmi (2024)
- Vijay Vishwa as Saravana Velu: Kayal's one-sided obsessive lover (2024–2025)
- Eesan Sujatha as Meenatchi: Saravana Velu's mother (2024, 2025)
- Sonia Agarwal as Herself (2025)
Production
Development
After the conclusion of Sun TV's drama Abhiyum Naanum, its production company, Vision Time India Pvt. Ltd., decided to produce Kayal. The concept of the show was originally based on K. Balachander's 1987 film Manathil Urudhi Vendum. This is the 15th serial produced for Sun TV. The first promotional video was released on 11 October 2021.[3]
Casting
Actress Chaitra Reddy was cast in the lead role, marking her return to television after starring in Zee Tamil's drama Yaaradi Nee Mohini.[4][5][6] Sanjeev Karthik was cast opposite her.[7] Actor "Vazhakku En" Muthuraman was cast as the main antagonist, Dharmalingam alias Dharma.
Gayatri Jayaraman was selected to portray the role of Sivasankari Rajasekhar (Ezhilarasan's mother), a negative character. In February 2022, she quit the series and was replaced by Uma Riyaz Khan.[8] On 15 May 2024, actress Chandra Lakshman joined the cast to portray another negative role.[9]
Distribution
The series premiered on 25 October 2021 on Sun TV and is also available on the digital platform Sun NXT.
Soundtrack
Title song of this series is based on the song "Kannin Maniye" from Manathil Urudhi Vendum.
Reception
Kayal became one of the most-watched Tamil television programs from its launch week in 2021. In the BARC era of Tamil serials, it is the only show to claim the No. 1 position in its launch week itself.[10][11]
The show climbed into the top 5 most-watched programs across all GECs within just a few weeks of its launch.[12][13] It also gave strong competition to Bharathi Kannamma aired on Star Vijay.[14]
In Week 30 of 2023, the series achieved a peak rating of 12.48 TVR.[15][16]
Adaptations
Since January 2022, Kayal has been remade in other languages such as in Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, Marathi and Malayalam. It is broadcast on Sun TV Network's group of channels in the respective languages.
| Language | Title | Original release | Network(s) | Last aired | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tamil | Kayal கயல் |
25 October 2021 | Sun TV | Ongoing | Original | |
| Telugu | Saadhana సాధన |
24 January 2022 | Gemini TV | 6 January 2024 | Remake | [17] |
| Kannada | Radhika ರಾಧಿಕಾ |
14 March 2022 | Udaya TV | 29 March 2025 | [18] | |
| Bengali | Meghe Dhaka Tara | 28 March 2022 | Sun Bangla | 2 July 2023 | [19] | |
| Marathi | Majhi Manasa माझी माणसं |
30 May 2022 | Sun Marathi | 1 May 2024 | [20] | |
| Malayalam | Bhavana ഭാവന |
26 June 2022 | Surya TV | 29 June 2025 | [21][22] |
Awards and honours
| Year | Award[a] | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Sun Kudumbam Viruthugal | Best Actress | Chaitra Reddy - Kayal | Won | [23] |
| Best Villain Male | Muthuraman - Dharmalingam | Won | |||
| Best Director | Selvam | Won | |||
| Best Serial | Kayal | Won | |||
| Natchathira Nayagan | Sanjeev Karthick - Ezhilarasan | Won | |||
| Best Screenplay | Ayyappan | Won | |||
| Best Lyrics Writer | Pa Vijay | Won | |||
| 2023 | Best Actress | Chaitra Reddy - Kayal | Won | ||
| 2025 | Sun Kudumbam Viruthugal | Best Actress | Chaitra Reddy - Kayal | Won | [24] |
| Best Serial | Kayal | Won |
References
- ^ "Kayal: All you need to know about the long-running family drama starring Chaithra Reddy and Sanjeev Karthick". The Times of India. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
- ^ "'Kayal': Moorthy goes missing, and Dhanam creates chaos in the family". The Times of India. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
- ^ "Television actress Chaitra Reddy celebrates 2 years journey in her show 'Kayal'". timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
- ^ "சன் டிவி 'கயல்' சீரியல் நடிகை சைத்ரா ரெட்டியின் லேட்டஸ்ட் போட்டோஸ்." tamil.news18.com (in Tamil).
- ^ "ஜீ தமிழில் அப்படி...சன் டிவியில் இப்படி..கலக்கும் சைத்ரா..வரவேற்கும் ரசிகர்கள்". tamil.oneindia.com (in Tamil).
- ^ "This is How Much Actor Chaitra Reddy Earns for her Role on TV Show Kayal". news18.com.
- ^ "சன் டிவி சீரியலில் ஜீ தமிழ் நடிகை என்ட்ரி: சஞ்சீவ்-க்கு இவர்தான் ஜோடியா?". tamil.indianexpress.com (in Tamil).
- ^ "என்ன இது... எல்லாரும் இப்படி கிளம்புறாங்க... பிரபல சீரியலில் இருந்து விலகிய முன்னணி நடிகை!". tamil.samayam.com (in Tamil).
- ^ "Kadhalikka Neramillai fame Chandra Lakshman joins 'Kayal'". timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
- ^ "முதல் வாரத்திலேயே டி ஆர் பியில் முதலிடம் பிடிக்கும் கயல் தொடர்". www.dinamani.com (in Tamil).
- ^ "Kayal tops the TRP charts, here's a look at the top 5 Tamil TV shows". timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
- ^ "டி ஆர் பியில் முதலிடம் பிடிக்கும் கயல் தொடர்". www.dinamani.com (in Tamil).
- ^ "Kayal tops the TRP charts, here's a look at the top 5 Tamil TV shows". timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
- ^ "தொடர் சரிவில் பாரதி கண்ணம்மா.... போட்டிக்கு வந்த சன் டி.வி சீரியல்!". tamil.indianexpress.com (in Tamil).
- ^ "டி ஆர் பியில் முதலிடம் பிடிக்கும் கயல் தொடர்". www.dinamani.com (in Tamil).
- ^ "Kayal tops the TRP charts, here's a look at the top 5 Tamil TV shows". timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
- ^ "Kayal in Telugu as 'Saadhana' - Times of India". The Times of India. 5 March 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
- ^ "Kavya Shastry returns to the small screen with a role that is so her". The Times of India.
- ^ "New TV show 'Meghe Dhaka Tara' to launch soon". The Times of India. 5 March 2022.
- ^ "स्वकर्तृत्वावर घर सांभाळणाऱ्या गिरीजाची गोष्ट; सुरू होत आहे नवी मालिका 'माझी माणसं'". ABP Majha (in Marathi). 29 May 2022.
- ^ "Bhavana: Surya Dev to reveal his true identity". The Times of India. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
- ^ "Bhavana Serial Surya TV is the Remake of Kayal – Stephy Leon in Lead". www.news.keralatv.in. 15 June 2022.
- ^ "சன் குடும்ப விருதுகளின் மொத்த லிஸ்ட்.. ஃபேவரிட் கதாநாயகன், கதாநாயகி யார் தெரியுமா.?". www.cinemapettai.com.
- ^ "சன் குடும்ப விருதுகளின் மொத்த லிஸ்ட்.. ஃபேவரிட் கதாநாயகன், கதாநாயகி யார் தெரியுமா.?". www.cinemapettai.com.
Notes
- ^ Awards, festivals and organizations are in Alphabetical order.