Kayal (TV series)
Kayal is a 2021 Indian Tamil-language television series starring Chaitra Reddy and Sanjeev Karthik. It is loosely based on the Tamil film Manathil Urudhi Vendum.
The series premiered on 25 October 2021 on Sun TV, airing from Monday to Saturday and is also available on the digital platform Sun NXT. It is directed by P. Selvam and produced by Vision Time India Private Limited in association with Sun Entertainment.
Plot
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 and Anbu & sisters: Devi and Anandhi. Watch Kayal stand tall in her selfless journey.Cast
Main
- Chaitra Reddy as Kayal Ezhilarasan: Muthuvel and Kamatchi's daughter, Moorthy, Devi, Anandhi and Anbu's sister, Ezhilarasan's Wife;
- Sanjeev Karthick as Ezhilarasan Rajasekhar: Rajasekhar and Sivasankari's son, Kayal's husband
Recurring
- Meenakumari as Kamatchi Muthuvel: Muthuvel's widow; mother of Moorthy, Kayal, Devi, Anandhi, and Anbu; grandmother of Anu and Kavin
- Vazhakku En Muthuraman as Dharmalingam: Vadivu's husband; father of Subramani and Aarthi
- Sumangali as Vadivukarasi "Vadivu" Dharmalingam: Dharmalingam's wife; mother of Subramani and Aarthi
- Hema Srikanth as Vedhavalli "Valli" Chandrasekhar: Chandrasekhar's wife; mother of Vignesh and Shalini
- Gayatri Jayaraman Episode 16 / Uma Riyaz Khan as Sivasankari Rajasekhar: Rajasekhar's wife; Ezhil's mother
- Iyyappan Unni Episode 1 / 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
- Janaki Devi Episode 1 / Subha Geetha as Dhanalakshmi Moorthy: Moorthy's wife; Anu's mother
- Baby Dechina as Anu Moorthy: Moorthy and Dhanam's daughter; Kamatchi and Muthuvel's granddaughter
- Ishwarya Ravichandran Episode 1 / Nila Gracy as Devi Vigneshwaran: Kamatchi and Muthuvel's younger daughter; sister of Moorthy, Kayal, Anbu, and Anandhi; Vignesh's wife; Kavin's mother
- Gopi as Vigneshwaran "Vignesh" Chandrasekhar: Chandrasekhar and Vedhavalli's son; Shalini's brother; Devi's husband; Kavin's father
- Avinash Ashok Episode 1 / Harry / Jeeva Rajendran as Sub Inspector Anbuselvan Muthuvel: Kamatchi and Muthuvel's younger son; brother of Moorthy, Kayal, Devi, and Anandhi; Shalini's husband
- Unknown Episode 36 / Sathyapriya Sivasamy as Shalini Anbuselvan: Chandrasekhar and Vedhavalli's daughter; Vignesh's sister; Anbu's wife
- Abinavya Deepak as Anandhi Muthuvel: Kamatchi and Muthuvel's youngest daughter; sister of Moorthy, Kayal, Devi, and Anbu
Other cast
- Shaashvi Bala as Deepika: Ezhil's one-sided obsessive lover and Kayal's arch rival
- Sebastian as Petter Arumugam: Moorthy's worker; Kayal's foster family member
- Muralidhar Raj as Rajasekhar: Sivasankari's husband; Ezhil's father
- Fawaz Zayani as Subramaniyam "Subramani" Dharmalingam: Dharmalingam and Vadivu's son; Aarthi's brother; Pavithra's husband
- Hensha Deepan as Pavithra Subramaniyam: Subramaniyam's wife
- Kiran Mai as Aarthi Anand: Dharmalingam and Vadivu's daughter; Subramani's sister; Anand's wife
- Rothit Balaiah as Anand: Ezhil's best friend; Aarthi's husband
- VM Rajesh Kanna as Chandrasekhar: Vedhavalli's husband; father of Vignesh and Shalini
- Ghouse Nisha as Uma: Ezhil's one-sided obsessive lover and Kayal's rival
- Arandhangi Manjula as Uma's mother
- Varun Udhai as Dr. Gowtham: Kayal's rival
- Annapoorani as Vanitha: A nurse and Gowtham's follower
- Jeganathan as Ex-MLA Sethusingam: Vedhavalli's brother
- Swathi Reddy as Ramya: Kayal's best friend
- Suruli as Hospital Dean
- Birla Bose as Inspector Vajravel
- Reehana as Prabhu's mother
- Ravikumar as Prabhu's father
- Sidharth Kapilavayi as Prabhu
- 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
- * Bharathi Mohan as young Muthuvel
- Gabriella Sellus as Sundari from Sundari
- Jishnu Menon as Karthick from Sundari
- Riya Manoj as Abhirami
- Nidhish Kutty as Ilamukhil
- Aadhish Jatti Jaganathan as Sumo
- Nimeshika Radhakrishnan as Meera
- Rahul Ravi as Yuva
- Vadivukkarasi as Rajalakshmi
- Aila Syed as Kayal and Ezhil’s daughter in dreams
- Baladitya as Suryakumar: Kayal's fake husband
- Anusha Prathap as Eshwari
- Chandra Lakshman as Rajalakshmi
- Vijay Vishwa as Saravana Velu: Kayal's one-sided obsessive lover
- Eesan Sujatha as Meenatchi: Saravana Velu's mother
- Sonia Agarwal as Herself
- Unknown as Judge Arulmozhi Varman
- TSR Srinivasan as Train Passenger
- Y. G. Mahendran as Sakthivel Sakthivel Kalingarayar
- Nalini as Meenatchi
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.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. Sanjeev Karthik was cast opposite her. Actor "Vazhakku En" Muthuraman was cast as the main antagonist, Dharmalingam alias Dharma.Gayatri Jayaraman was selected to portray the role of Sivasankari Rajasekhar, a negative character. In February 2022, she quit the series and was replaced by Uma Riyaz Khan. On 15 May 2024, actress Chandra Lakshman joined the cast to portray another negative role.
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.The show climbed into the top 5 most-watched programs across all GECs within just a few weeks of its launch. It also gave strong competition to Bharathi Kannamma aired on Star Vijay.