# Meenakshi Ponnunga

Meenakshi Ponnunga (transl. Daughters of Meenakshi) is a 2022-2024 Indian Tamil language television drama starring Sriranjani with Soundarya Reddy and Aryan in the lead roles. It is an official remake of Zee Telugu TV series Radhamma Kuthuru. It premiered on Zee Tamil from 1 August 2022 and ended on 4 August 2024 with 637 Episodes.

## Plot

Meenakshi gives birth to three daughters Yamuna, Shakthi and Durga. Meenakshi's husband, who desperately wanted a son, ran away and married Pushpa. So Meenakshi runs a food supplies store named "Meenakshi Food Supplies Store" with the help of her daughters, which was a famous store in that village. Shakthi vows to become an IAS officer to avenge her mother. Meanwhile, Vetri, the son of Ranganayagi, falls in love with Shakthi.

## Cast
### Main

* Mokshitha Pai (2022) → Soundarya Reddy (2022–2024) as Shakthi – Meenakshi and Needhimani's second daughter; Yamuna's younger sister; Durga's elder sister; Vetri's love interest and wife; Ranganayagi's daughter-in-law
* Archana (2022–2023)→ Sriranjani (2023–2024) as Meenakshi – Needhimani's first wife; Yamuna, Shakthi and Durga's mother; Karthik and Vetri's mother-in-law
* Aryan as Vetri – Ranganayaki's son; Saranya's brother; Pooja's ex-fiancé; Shakthi's husband

### Recurring

* Gayathri Yuvraaj (2022–2023) →Kavya Bellu (2023-2024) as Yamuna – Meenakshi and Needhimani's first daughter; Shakthi and Durga's elder sister; Karthik's love interest and wife
* Pranika Dhakshu as Durga – Meenakshi and Needhimani's last daughter; Shakthi and Yamuna's younger sister
* Sasilaya as Ranganayagi – Vetri and Saranya's mother; Shakthi and Ashok's mother-in-law
* Anandmouli as Singaraja - Ranganayagi's husband
* Subathira as Pushpa − Needhimani's second wife; Shanmugam's mother
* Ram Sundar as Sangili - Pushpa's brother, who wants to marry one of Meenakshi's daughters, with the intention of making their life hell.
* Prabhakaran as Needhimani – Meenakshi and Pushpa's husband; Yamuna, Shakthi, Durga and Shanmugam's father; Karthik and Vetri's father-in-law
* Suganya as Saranya – Ranganayagi's daughter; Vetri's sister; Ashok's wife
* Hema Dayal as Pooja – Vetri's ex-fiancé
* Sudharsanam (2022) →Vishnukanth (2022–2023) → Ashwin Balaji (2023–2024) as Karthik – Kokila's son; Yamuna's husband
* Aarthi Ramkumar as Kokila – Karthik's mother
* Singaraja as Kokila's husband and Karthik's father
* Deepa Shankar as Shantha – Meenakshi's friend and maid
* Vigneshwaran as Ashok – Saranya's husband
* Thidiyan as Thidiyan – Vetri's friend
* Tom Frank as Giri -Vetri's friend
* Sanjay as Shanmugam – Needhimani and Pushpa's son
* Siddharth Kapilavayi as Rohit – Pooja's ex-fiancé

### Cameo Appearances

* Ajay Rathnam as Karuppusamy

## Soundtrack

All the title tracks of the series was composed by Radhan. The song Kannala Thaakura was sung by Sarath Santhosh and lyrics by Ku. Karthik.

## Production
### Casting

Actress Archana was signed to portray the title role of Meenakshi in her first television debut. She quit the serial in April 2023 due to being unsatisfied with the storyline and in June 2023, she was replaced by Sriranjani. Mokshitha Pai was initially selected to play the role Shakthi, by marking her debut in Tamil television but later was replaced by Soundarya Reddy in November 2022 who also made her debut in Tamil television as Mokshitha Pai quit the serial. Aryan was selected to play the character Vetri, whilst Tamil motivational speaker Sasilaya was chosen to play the role of Renganayagi, Vetri's mother.
Actress Gayathri Yuvaraj was initially played the role as Yamuna. Later due to her pregnancy situations she need to stay in home, so she quit the series in September 2023, she was replaced by Kavya Bellu. In end of January 2024, actress Shreya Anchan was cast as special Appearance.

## Awards

| Award | Category | Recipient | Role |
| Zee Tamil Kudumbam Viruthugal 2022 | Most Promising Actor-Female | Soundarya Reddy | Shakthi |
| Zee Tamil Kudumbam Viruthugal 2022 | Rising Star- Male | Aryan | Vetri |
| Zee Tamil Kudumbam Viruthugal 2023 | Most Popular Marumagal | Soundarya Reddy | Shakthi |
| Zee Tamil Kudumbam Viruthugal 2023 | Best On Screen Pair | Aaryan & Soundarya Reddy | Vetri & Shakthi |
| Zee Tamil Kudumbam Viruthugal 2023 | Most Popular Amma | Sriranjani | Meenakshi |

## Adaptations

| Language | Title | Original release | Networks(s) | Last aired | Notes |
| Telugu | Radhamma Kuthuru రాధమ్మ కూతూరు | 26 August 2019 | Zee Telugu | 3 August 2024 | Original |
| Kannada | Puttakkana Makkalu ಪುಟ್ಟಕ್ಕನ ಮಕ್ಕಳು | 13 December 2021 | Zee Kannada | Ongoing | Remake |
| Bengali | Uron Tubri উড়ন তুবড়ি | 28 March 2022 | Zee Bangla | 16 December 2022 | Remake |
| Malayalam | Kudumbashree Sharada കുടുംബശ്രീ ശാരദ | 11 April 2022 | Zee Keralam | Ongoing | Remake |
| Odia | Suna Jhia ସୁନା ଝିଅ | 30 May 2022 | Zee Sarthak | Ongoing | Remake |
| Punjabi | Dheeyan Meriyaan ਧੀਆਂ ਮੇਰੀਆਂ | 6 June 2022 | Zee Punjabi | 30 March 2024 | Remake |
| Tamil | Meenakshi Ponnunga மீனாட்சி பொண்ணுங்க | 1 August 2022 | Zee Tamil | 4 August 2024 | Remake |
| Hindi | Main Hoon Aparajita मैं हूं अपराजिता | 27 September 2022 | Zee TV | 25 June 2023 | Remake |
| Marathi | Lavangi Mirchi लवंगी मिरची | 13 February 2023 | Zee Marathi | 5 August 2023 | Remake |