# Kumkumapoovu

Kumkumapoovu (transl. Saffron Crocus) was an Indian Malayalam-language soap opera that aired on Asianet from 2011 to 2014. It ran for 785 episodes. The cast included Asha Sharath, Sajan Surya, Shelly Kishore, Shanavas Shanu, Aswathy, G.K Pillai and Rindhya.
The serial won several awards at the Asianet Television Awards including Best Serial 2012, Best Script for 2012,2013 and 2014, Best Actor for Sajan Surya in 2012 and 2013, Best Actress for Asha Sarath and Shelly in 2012 and 2013 respectively.

## Plot

Jayanthi and her illegitimate daughter Shalini were separated at Shalini's birth, with Jayanthi misled into believing her daughter had died while the girl was raised for a time by a butcher, Markose, who treated her unkindly. Shalini was rescued from the unkind butcher and raised in a home with a foster brother, Mahesh. When Mahesh marries the legitimate daughter of Jayanthi, Amala, Jayanthi realizes who Shalini is. Jayanthi must come to terms with her feelings about the daughter she believed dead.

## Cast

* Asha Sarath as Professor Jayanthi Prabhakaran – Jagannatha and Vasantha's daughter; Jithan's ex-lover; Prabhakaran's wife; Shalini, Amala and Arun's mother; Karthika's grandmother
* Shelly Kishore as Shalini Rudhran – Jayanthi and Jithan's daughter; Prabhakaran's step-daughter; Subhadramma's foster daughter; Amala and Arun's half-sister; Mahesh's foster sister; Rudhran's wife
* Aswathy Thomas as Amala Mahesh – Jayanthi and Prabhakaran's daughter; Arun's sister; Shalini's half-sister; Mahesh's wife; Karthika's mother
* Sajan Surya as Mahesh – Subhadramma's son; Shalini's foster brother; Amala's husband; Karthika's father
* Shanavas Shanu as Rudhran – Shalini's husband
* Lishoy as Prabhakaran aka Prabha – Jayanthi's husband; Amala and Arun's father; Shalini's step-father; Karthika's grandfather
* Kalaranjini as Subhadramma aka Athimuttathamma – Mahesh's mother; Shalini's foster mother; Karthika's grandmother
* Sona Jelina as Karthika Mahesh – Amala and Mahesh's daughter
* Amith as Jithan – A Writer; Jayanthi's ex-lover; Shalini's father
* Jayakrishnan Kichu / Pratheesh Nandan as Arun Prabhakaran – Jayanthi and Prabhakaran's son; Amala's brother; Shalini's half-brother; Karuna's and Chithra husband
* Anjana Haridas-as Chithra Arun;Arun's second wife
* Dharmambigai Rindhya as Karuna Arun – Arun's exwife
* GK Pillai as Colonel Jagannatha Varma – Vasantha's husband; Jayanthi's father; Shalini, Amala and Arun's grandfather
* Indira Thampi as Vasantha Varma – Jagannatha's wife; Jayanthi's mother; Shalini, Amala and Arun's grandmother
* T.S Raju as Markose – Mariamma's husband; Shalini's former caretaker
* Vijayakumari as Mariamma Markose – Markose's wife; Shalini's former caretaker
* Santhosh Kurup as CI Jayapalan
* Devendranath as Aadhi/Adithyan (Antagonist)
* Yadhu Krishnan as Adarsh (Antagonist)
* Amboori Jayan as Govindan
* Anjana Haridas as Chithra
* Illekettu namboothiri as Sathyasheelan
* Haridas Varkala
* Rajeev Roshan as Anand
* Vimal Raj as Kazhukan Shaji
* Chitra Iyer as Arundathi Jithans friend
* Vanitha Krishnachandran as Professor Rajalakshmi
* Bijoy Varghese
* Sreeya Remesh as Meera
* Yamuna Mahesh as Advocate
* Kallayam Krishadas
* Karthika Kannan as Kanchana
* Alina Padikkal as Thara

## Awards
### 5th Asianet Television awards 2012

* Best Serial – G Jayakumar Bhavachithra (Ross petal entertainment . Pvt.Ltd)
* Best Director – Praveen Kadakkavoor
* Best Screenplay – Pradeep Panicker
* Best Actor – Sajan Surya as Mahesh
* Best Actress – Asha Sarath as Pro. Jayanthi
* Best Debut – Shelly as Shalini
* Most Popular Actor – Shanavas as Rudhran
* Best Dubbing Artist – Bhagyalakshmi for Prof. Jayanthi
* Best Actor in a negative role (Female) – Ashwathy as Amala
* Best Character Actor – T.S. Saju as Markose
* Best Cinematographer – Hemachandran
* Best Music Director – Rony Rapheal for Oru Thaaratin eenam Pole
* Best lyrics – Prayaar Geethamohan
* Best editor – Rohit Roshan
* Special Jury – Haimambika Rindhya as Karuna
* Lifetime Achievement Awards – GK Pilla

### 6th Asianet Television Awards 2013

* Evergreen Hit serial – Kumkumapoovu
* Best Actor – Sajan Surya as Mahesh
* Best Actress – Shelly as Shalini
* Best Screenplay – Pradeep Panicker
* Golden star of the year – Asha Sarath as Pro. Jayanthi
* Best Actor in a negative role (female) – Ashwathy as Amala
* Best Actor in a negative role (female) Spl. Jury – Haimambika Rindhya as Karuna
* Best Actor in a negative role (male) – Devendranath
* Background score – Sanand George
* Best Dubbing Artist Male – Shobi Thilakan for Jithan
* Best Dubbing Artist Female – Devi S. for Amala
* Best editor – Rohit Roshan

### 7th Asianet Television Awards 2014

* Best Screenplay – Pradeep Panicker
* Best editor – Rohit Roshan

### Asiavision Television awards 2013

* 2013 – Best Actress (Asha)
* 2013 – Best serial
* 2013 – Best Negative Actress (Aswathy)
Asiavision Television Awards 2014
* 2014 – Best Actress (Shelly)
* 2014 – Golden star (Asha)
* 2014 – Popular Actor (Shanavas)

## Adaptations

| Language | Title | Original release | Network(s) | Last aired | Notes |
| Malayalam | Kumkumapoovu കുങ്കുമപ്പൂവ് | 31 January 2011 | Asianet | 1 February 2014 | Original |
| Tamil | Aval அவல் | 7 November 2011 | Star Vijay | 16 March 2013 | Remake |
| Kannada | Amma ಅಮ್ಮಾ | 1 February 2016 | Star Suvarna | 4 February 2017 | Remake |
| Marathi | Lek Majhi Ladki लेक माझी लाडकी | 2 May 2016 | Star Pravah | 22 October 2018 | Remake |
| Telugu | Kumkuma Puvvu కుంకుమ పువ్వు | 18 July 2016 | Star Maa | 26 April 2024 | Remake |