Mazha Thorum Munpe (TV series)

Mazha Thorum Munpe is an Indian Malayalam-language television soap opera directed by Binu Vellathooval. The series is an adaptation of the acclaimed novel of the same name by Joycee, who also serves as the show's scriptwriter. It stars Nikitha Rajesh, Vaishnavi Saikumar, Kishore Peethambaran, and Rahul Suresh in the lead roles, and features an ensemble cast. The series premiered on Asianet on 7 July 2025.

Plot

Aleena is an orphan raised in Snehaniketam in Kazhakoottam, Thiruvananthapuram under the care of Brijithamma. Facing terminal illness, Brijithamma seeks to secure the futures of her wards: Chinnukutty is relocated, and Revathykutty is taken in by a couple, Mamachan and Graceamma from Palarivattom, Eranakulam. Brijithamma eventually contacts Kunjiramamenon, a wealthy man from Pala, Kottayam revealing that his daughter, Vyjayanthi, is Aleena's biological mother. Before his death, a guilt-ridden Kunjiramamenon tasks his grandson, Manu, with bringing Aleena into their home as a caretaker for his bedridden wife, Saudamini.
Aleena's arrival is met with immediate hostility from Vyjayanthi, who views the presence of a young, beautiful housemaid as a threat to her domestic peace. Her ego and a series of misunderstandings harden her dislike for Aleena. Meanwhile, Manu begins to develop romantic feelings for Aleena.
Parallelly, Revathykutty’s life takes a turn as Mamachan and Graceamma eventually accept her as their foster daughter. Revathy discover that their late son Jomon had a child with his fiancée, Sherin. However, their search for the child hits a dead end when they find Sherin is mentally unstable and her family remains hostile.
Rohit and Harishankar, Aleena's half-siblings, attempt to assault Aleena. During the ensuing turmoil, Balachandran accidentally overhears a phone conversation between Aleena and Revathykutty, leading him to doubt Aleena’s origins. He secretly records her calls and is devastated to learn the truth about her parentage. He confirms the truth with Vyjayanthi's elder brother, Colonel Gangadhara Menon, who reveals that Aleena was born from Vyjayanthi's past relationship with his colleague, Stanley Joseph in Agra. Shaken by the discovery and Vyjayanthi's past deception, Balachandran suffers a cardiac arrest.
Following a period of reflection during his recovery period, Balachandran accepts Aleena as his daughter while distancing himself from Vyjayanthi. The bond between Balachandran and Aleena is misinterpreted by the rest of the family as an illicit affair. To protect Vyjayanthi’s reputation while keeping Aleena in the house, Balachandran falsely claims Aleena is his own illegitimate child from a relationship prior to his marriage. An enraged Vyjayanthi leaves the house and meets with a severe road accident. Seeking vengeance for their sister's perceived dishonor, Vyjayanthi's brothers, Shivashankaran and Rajeevan, kidnap Aleena. Colonel Gangadharan is forced to intervene and reveal that Aleena is actually their biological niece and Vyjayanthi's daughter.

Cast

Main

Nikitha Rajesh as Aleena : Vyjayanthi's estranged daughter who grew up in an orphanage unaware of her identity. In a twist of fate, she eventually returns to her mother's house as a caretaker.Balachandran's step- daughter,Rohit, Babitha and Krishnaja's half sister. Manu's Crush.
Vaishnavi Saikumar as Vyjayanthi : Aleena's mother. Hardened by the belief that she lost her daughter years ago, she has become bitter and impulsively develops a deep-seated dislike for Aleena, unaware of their true relationship. Kunjiramamenon and Saudhaminiyamma's daughter, Gangadaran, Shivasankaran and Rajeev's sister, Balachandran's wife, Babitha, Rohit and Krishnaja's mother.A Bank Employee
Kishore Peethambaran as Nedumpurakkal Balachandra Menon : Vyjayanthi's husband. He embraces Aleena as his daughter after learning her identity but maintains a strained relationship with his wife.Vyjayanthi's husband, Sulochana and Sunada's Brother,Rohit, Babitha and Krishnaja's father.
Rahul Suresh as Manushankar Menon : Vyjayanthi's nephew.Shivan and Kamala's elder son.Honoring his late grandfather’s final wish, he brings Aleena from the orphanage to serve as a caretaker for his ailing grandmother. He harbors a subtle romantic interest in her.

Recurring

Keziah Thomas as Revathykutty : Aleena’s younger sister from the orphanage. Initially employed as a housemaid for Graceamma and Mamachan, she is eventually embraced by the couple as their foster daughter.
Roslin as Soudamini Amma : Vyjayanthi's mother and Aleena’s maternal grandmother. She is bedridden and remains under Aleena’s devoted care.
Saju Kodiyan as Mammachan : A retired army officer and Graceamma's husband. While grieving the death of his only son, he finds solace in Revathykutty and becomes her foster father.
K. S. Maneesha as Graceamma : Mamachan’s wife and Jomon’s mother. Having been long consumed by grief over her son's death, she eventually finds solace in Revathykutty and embraces her as her foster daughter.
Nitha Promy as Kamala : Shivashankara Menon's wife, Vyjayanthi's sister-in-law, and Manu's mother. A selfish and antagonistic woman, she is consistently hostile toward Aleena and seeks to undermine her at every opportunity.
Veda Vyas as Rohit : The eldest son of Balachandran and Vyjayanthi, and Aleena’s half-brother. Manipulated by Harishankar, he turns toward criminal behavior; after Aleena rejects their advances, the two attempt to sexually assault her.
Janvi Muraleedharan as Krishnaja : The younger daughter of Balachandran and Vyjayanthi. She shares a deep bond with Aleena, viewing her as an elder sister, and is the first person to whom Balachandran reveals Aleena's true identity.
Abhijit M. K as Harishankar : Shivashankaran and Kamala's younger son; Manu's younger brother. A womenizer, he negatively influences Rohit to join him in a failed attempt to sexually assault Aleena after she rejects their advances.
Shahnaz Hussain as Babitha: Balachandran and Vaijayanthi's eldest daughter.
Anand Thrissur as Retired Lt. Colonel Gangadhara Menon : Vyjayanthi's eldest brother
Dini Daniel as Malathi : Gangadaran's wife
Sumesh Surendran as Rajeevan Menon : Vyjayanthi's third brother
Badusha NM as Kaithakkal Malikaveetil Sivashankara Menon : Vyjayanthi's second brother; Manushankar's father
Abigail Maria John as Chinnukutty : A former inmate of Snehaniketam orphanage
Zaina as Ranjini: Manu and Hari's younger sister
Ronnie Vincent as Dr. Sharma : Balachandran's neighbour
Shibin K David as Josutty: Mamachan's driver
Siberian Husky as Rinku: Dr. Sharma's pet dog
Shinto Johnny as Amal: Babitha's boyfriend
Aparna Raj as Saranya: Harishankar's girlfriend
Ashika Ashokan as Sherin: Jomon's ex-fiancee. Following the tragic loss of both her child and her fiancé, she suffers a mental breakdown and becomes emotionally unstable.
Jismy as Ancy: Sherin's sister-in-law
Balu as Robichan: Sherin's brother
Kalabhavan Jinto as Albichan: Sherin's brother
Kalashala Ashokan as Kunhirama Menon: Aleena’s late grandfather. As the catalyst for the story, his final wish prompts Manu to bring Aleena into the household as a caregiver.
Shobha Mohan as Brijithamma: Aleena's foster-mother at the orphange
Animol as Revathikutty's mother
Noobin Johnny as Jijo
Shubha as Kunjimol: Vyjayanthi's former housemaid
Nidheesh Nair as Doctor
Revathy Sudhev as Nurse
Pala Aravindan as Rameshan Nair

Production

Development

Mazha Thorum Munpe is a television adaptation of the novel by Malayalam writer Joycee, which was originally serialized in Manorama Weekly between 2006 and 2010 under the female pseudonym C.V. Nirmala. The narrative was inspired by a 2005 news report concerning an abandoned orphanage in Kazhakoottam, leading Joycee to explore the potential fate of abandoned individuals. To ensure geographical realism, the author meticulously mapped real-life locations before drafting the chapters. For the 2025 series, the original text was modernized to incorporate contemporary social issues and updated dialogue reflecting the perspectives of a younger audience.

Filming

The series is filmed predominantly in Kochi. In December 2025, the production gained significant media attention for the filming of a high-stakes accident sequence involving the character Vyjayanthi, played by Vaishnavi Saikumar.

Casting

Nikitha Rajesh was roped in to play the central character, Aleena thus marking her third collobaration with Joycee after Omanathinkal Pakshi and Manjurukum Kalam. Joycee revealed that when he originally wrote the novel years ago, he had envisioned Nikitha who was then a child artist in Omanathinkalpakshi as a child character, Chinnukutty. Years later, she was cast as the adult protagonist, Aleena. Writer Joycee's own grand-daughter, Abigael made her acting debut as Chinnukutty.
Vaishnavi Saikumar plays Vyjayanthi, Aleena's mother. Rahul Suresh who previously worked in Kaathodu Kaathoram plays the male lead, Manushankar. Former child actor, Keziah Thomas plays the second female lead, Revathykutty. K.S Maneesha described her character, Graceamma as a deeply religious woman who serves as a foster-mother for Revathykutty. The series also features Rony Vincent as Dr. Sharma, marking his return to acting after nearly four decades after his debut in Chillu.
Several characters were inspired by Joycee's real life. The character Brijithamma was named after his mother, while her personality was modeled after his maternal aunt, Sister Mary Raphael. The character Mamachan was inspired by an estate owner Joycee knew in Mundakayam, Idukki.

Broadcast

The series premiered on Asianet on July 7, 2025. The launch was promoted with the unique tagline "7.7. 7.7," signifying that Joycee’s 7th television serial debuted in the 7th month, on the 7th day, at 7:00 PM. It is also available for digital streaming on Disney+Hotstar.

Reception

Following table is the TRP performance of Mazha Thorum Munpe according to the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) ratings.

Month / Period	Rank	Ref
July 2025	5
September 2025	3
November 2025	3
December 2025	2