# Kunku (TV series)

Kunku is an Indian Marathi language television series which aired on Zee Marathi. It starred Sunil Barve and Mrunmayee Deshpande in lead roles. It is produced by Sangita Sarang and directed by Pratima Kulkarni. It premiered from 27 July 2009 and ended on 4 February 2012 completing 791 episodes.

## Plot

Narsingh Killedar, a powerful and experienced politician, was still struggling with the pain of losing his wife. She had passed away very recently, leaving behind their teenage daughter Amruta. Despite his grief, Narsingh harbored a strong ambition - to become the Chief Minister in the upcoming elections. However, his dreams were shattered by a shocking prophecy. Bhavani Mai, a woman known for her foresight, predicted that Narsingh wouldn't even live to see the elections. This threw Narsingh into a deep mental turmoil.
But there was a glimmer of hope. A solution was proposed - a way to avoid this terrible fate. Apparently, Narsingh needed to marry an unmarried virgin. This presented a whole new challenge for Krushna Aatya, Narsinha's aunt. Finding a young woman willing to marry a man of Narsingh's age, especially amidst such unusual circumstances, seemed like an impossible task. Krushna Aatya's initial attempts to find a suitable candidate proved unsuccessful.
Then, fate intervened. A poor villager, burdened by financial difficulties, left his young daughter, Janaki, at the doorstep of the Killedar family. Krushna Aatya saw Janaki as the answer to their prayers. Janaki, unaware of the true reason behind her sudden inclusion in the household, seemed like the perfect fit for Narsinha's second marriage. However, this decision would set in motion a series of events that would change the lives of everyone involved, particularly Janaki, who was about to be thrust into a world far different from the one she knew.

## Cast
### Main

* Sunil Barve as Narsingh Killedar
* Mrunmayee Deshpande as Janaki Subhan Pawar / Janaki Narsingh Killedar

### Recurring

* Suhas Joshi as Krishna
* Sharad Ponkshe as Parshuram Killedar
* Manasi Kulkarni as Amruta Narsingh Killedar
* Mousami Tondwalkar as Narmada Narsingh Killedar
* Siddheshwar Zadbuke as Padmakar Waknis
* Snehlata Tawde as Ahilya Waman Killedar
* Anand Ingale as Waman Killedar
* Pooja Nayak as Sumitra Parshuram Killedar
* Prafulla Bhalerao as Ganesh Subhan Pawar
* Ashok Sawant as Subhan Pawar
* Geetanjali Kambli as Rakhma Subhan Pawar
* Dipti Ketkar as Radhika
* Janardan Parab as Damu
* Vijay Patwardhan as Kanifnath Karve
* Vrishasen Dabholkar as Rajan
* Madhavi Nimkar as Vanita
* Bhushan Pradhan as Aryan
* Sulabha Deshpande
* Neha Shitole
* Mugdha Shah
* Sunil Godbole
* Sunil Tawde
* Sneha Raikar
* Kanchan Gupte
* Shweta Mehendale
* Vijay Mishra
* Prajakta Kelkar
* Sunila Karambelkar
* Kishori Ambiye

## Awards

Zee Marathi Utsav Natyancha Awards :
| Year | Category | Recipient | Role |
| 2010 | Best Actress | Mrunmayee Deshpande | Janaki |
| 2010 | Best Father | Sunil Barve | Narsingh |
| 2010 | Best Negative Actor | Sharad Ponkshe | Parshuram |
| 2010 | Best Character Female | Suhas Joshi | Krishna |
| 2010 | Best Supporting Female | Dipti Ketkar | Radhika |
| 2010 | Best Supporting Male | Siddheshwar Zadbuke | Padmakar |
| 2010 | Best Siblings | Mrunmayee Deshpande-Prafulla Bhalerao | Janaki-Ganesh |
| 2010 | Best Series | | |
| 2011 | Best Character Female | Mrunmayee Deshpande | Janaki |
| 2011 | Best Family | Killedar Family | |
| 2011 | Best Siblings | Mrunmayee Deshpande-Prafulla Bhalerao | Janaki-Ganesh |

## Reception

| Week | Year | TAM TVR | Rank | Rank | Ref. |
| Week | Year | TAM TVR | Mah/Goa | All India | Ref. |
| Week 45 | 2009 | 0.7 | 3 | 93 | |
| Week 50 | 2009 | 0.8 | 2 | 92 | |
| Week 52 | 2009 | 0.9 | 2 | 86 | |
| Week 1 | 2010 | 1.0 | 1 | 57 | |
| Week 5 | 2010 | 0.7 | 3 | 98 | |
| Week 7 | 2010 | 0.8 | 1 | 92 | |
| Week 11 | 2010 | 0.7 | 3 | 99 | |
| Week 32 | 2010 | 0.68 | 4 | 99 | |
| Week 37 | 2010 | 0.7 | 1 | 97 | |

## Adaptations

| Language | Title | Original release | Network(s) | Last aired | Notes |
| Marathi | Kunku कुंकू | 27 July 2009 | Zee Marathi | 4 February 2012 | Original |
| Kannada | Chi Sow Savithri ಚಿ ಸೌ ಸಾವಿತ್ರಿ | 26 July 2010 | Zee Kannada | 27 July 2012 | Remake |