Kumkumapoovu was one of the popular Malayalam television serials aired on Asianet, featuring Asha Sarath, Sajan Surya, Shelly Kishore and Aswathi Thomas in prominent roles. Asha Sarath played Professor Jayanthi, while Sajan Surya appeared as Mahesh, Shelly Kishore as Shalini and Aswathi Thomas as Amala.
The serial also featured Shanavas Shanu, Saijan Surya, Lishoy, Kalaranjini, Sona Jelina, Jayakrishnan Kichu, GK Pillai, Indira Thampi, T. S. Raju and several other familiar television actors.
Asha Sarath is now returning to Malayalam television through the upcoming Sun Surya serial Manichithrathazhu. The new series takes the legendary Manichithrathazhu story into a new chapter centred on Nagavalli’s untold life, love and history.
Kumkumapoovu Serial Cast and Characters
| Actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Asha Sarath | Professor Jayanthi |
| Shelly Kishore | Shalini Rudhran |
| Aswathi Thomas | Amala Mahesh |
| Saijan Surya | Mahesh |
| Lishoy | Prabhakaran |
| Kalaranjini | Subhadramma |
| Sona Jelina | Karthika Mahesh |
| Amith | Jithan |
| Jayakrishnan Kichu | Arun Prabhakaran, later replaced by Pratheesh Nandan |
| Dhanammbigai Rindhya | Karuna Arun |
| GK Pillai | Colonel Jagannatha Varma |
| Indira Thampi | Vasantha Varma |
| T. S. Raju | Markose |
| Vijayakumari | Mariamma Markose |
| Santhosh Kurup | CI Jayapalan |
Asha Sarath as Professor Jayanthi
Asha Sarath played Professor Jayanthi in Kumkumapoovu, one of the notable characters associated with the popular Asianet serial.
Years after Kumkumapoovu, Asha Sarath is returning to Malayalam television as part of the cast of Manichithrathazhu on Sun Surya. The upcoming series also features Meera Nair and Kottayam Ramesh along with several prominent actors from Malayalam cinema and television.
Asha Sarath Returns With Manichithrathazhu
Sun Surya’s Manichithrathazhu does not recreate the events of the original story. Instead, the series takes the narrative forward through Pallavi, the daughter of Nakulan and Ganga, and her husband Kiran.
Their arrival at Madampally once again opens the door to mystery. Through Pallavi’s dreams, fragments of Nagavalli’s past begin to emerge, eventually leading the story to Thanjavur and an ancient book revealing Nagavalli’s untold story of love, sacrifice and history.
The series combines the Devadasi tradition, Thanjavur’s royal heritage, classical dance, psychology, history, romance and mystery. Asha Sarath, Meera Nair and Kottayam Ramesh are among the announced cast members.
Dr. Karunakaran Menon’s Family in Kumkumapoovu
Dr. Karunakaran Menon’s family forms an important part of the story. Dr. Karunakaran Menon is the father and husband in the family, while Vanaja Menon is his wife and a professor.
Their daughter is Amala, played by Aswathi Thomas, while Arun, a medical student, is their son.
Subhadra Amma’s Family
Subhadra Amma is a widow and the mother of Mahesh. Sajan Surya plays Mahesh, a computer engineer.
Shalini is Subhadra Amma’s adopted daughter. She was brought to Subhadra Amma as an orphan by Markose. The story later connects Shalini with Vanaja Menon as her illegitimate daughter, making her identity an important element in the family drama.
Markose and Other Characters
Markose is one of the important antagonistic characters in Kumkumapoovu. He had handed Shalini over to Subhadra Amma as an orphaned baby and later blackmailed Vanaja over the truth surrounding her daughter.
Elias, Markose’s son, is portrayed as a criminal, while Narendran appears as a Circle Inspector in the story.
Kumkumapoovu Episodes and Telecast
Asianet aired a total of 785 episodes of Kumkumapoovu from 31 January 2011 to 1 February 2014. The long-running family drama became one of the notable Malayalam television serials of its period.
The performances of Asha Sarath, Sajan Surya, Shelly Kishore and other members of the ensemble cast became closely associated with the serial during its run.
Kumkumapoovu Remakes
The popularity of Kumkumapoovu also resulted in adaptations in other Indian languages. Aval on Vijay TV was its Tamil adaptation, Amma on Star Suvarna its Kannada version, Lek Majhi Ladki on Star Pravah its Marathi adaptation and Kumkuma Puvvu on Star Maa its Telugu version.
From Kumkumapoovu to Manichithrathazhu
For viewers who remember Asha Sarath as Professor Jayanthi in Kumkumapoovu, Manichithrathazhu marks another notable Malayalam television appearance.
This time, the setting moves from the family drama of Kumkumapoovu to the mysterious world of Madampally and Nagavalli, as Sun Surya prepares to open a new chapter of Manichithrathazhu.
