“Sillunu Oru Kadhal” is a Tamil-language family drama serial that aired on Colors Tamil. It first premiered on 4 January 2021 and concluded on 28 October 2022, running for 562 episodes. The serial is a remake of the Marathi show Raja Ranichi Ga Jodi, adapted to the Tamil cultural milieu.
The story revolves around Kayalvizhi (“Kayal”), a young, spirited girl who has responsibilities in her family, financial struggles, and dreams of her own. Into her life enters Suryakumar “Surya”, a righteous and disciplined IPS officer, and the serial tracks their journey—love, conflict, traditional vs modern values, family obligations, secrets, betrayals, age issues, separation, and how they eventually meet again under changed circumstances. Themes of integrity, justice, family, trust and reconciliation are central.
The serial was well-received for its strong leads, engaging plot twists (including a murder mystery track), and emotional arcs. Viewers followed how Kayal, despite hardships and misunderstandings, tries to find her place in life and marriage, and how Surya deals with expectations, disappointments and his own morals.
Overview Table
| Item | Details |
| Title | Sillunu Oru Kadhal (Tamil) |
| Original Language | Tamil |
| Genre | Family Drama / Romantic Drama |
| Original Network | Colors Tamil |
| Production Company | Meraki Film Works |
| Producers & Key Crew | Producer: S. Jayalakshmi; Creators/Writers: Ramesh Thilak, Selvam Kandasamy & V. Padmavathy; Directors: Suresh Shanmugam (initial episodes), later Rathinam Vasudevan |
| Opening Theme / Music | Theme composer: Kiran; also music by Vishal Chandrasekhar; Opening song: “Vaa Vaa Magarasi” |
| Number of Episodes | 562 |
| Runtime per Episode | ~22 minutes |
| Original Run | 4 January 2021 – 28 October 2022 |
| Original Time Slot | 9:30 PM (evening prime time) when launched |
| Main Cast | Darshini Gowda as Kayalvizhi “Kayal”; Sameer Ahamathu as Suryakumar “Surya” IPS |
| Supporting Cast | Syamantha Kiran (Rajeshwari), VJ Mohana (Gayathri), Sri Latha (Kalyani), Kammapandi (Uthaman), Sathya Prathyusha (Kavitha), Indumathy Manikandan (Kamala), Rekha Angelina (Dhanam), Nathan Shyam, Praveen, Ranjana Nachiyaar, and others |
Story / Plot & Key Twists
- Early premise: Kayal’s family has financial burdens. Her father Uthaman has debts, especially taken from Sivaraman (a Zamindar figure) to fund the foreign education of Kayal’s elder sister, Gayathri. Sivaraman demands that once Gayathri returns, she should marry his son Surya. However, Gayathri falls in love with someone else (her classmate) and elopes, creating a crisis.
- Conflict begins: Because of circumstances and obligations, Kayal and Surya are compelled to marry. Kayal struggles with her in-laws, traditions, and also carries a secret: at the time of marriage she is under-age (i.e. not legally of age). This revelation causes trouble.
- Secondary arcs: Kayal runs a secret business with her friend Moni (“Kalyani Apala Kadai”) to help support her family. Surya, being an IPS officer, is upright and has high expectations; the clash of their values, of honesty vs hiding truth, of traditional family expectations, all contribute to conflict. Mother-in-law (Kamala) is critical of Kayal.
- Further developments & separation: After misunderstandings, betrayals and the under-age marriage issue becoming public, Kayal leaves the house, and they apply for divorce.
- Time leap: Four years later, Kayal, now older (21+), joins a police academy. Surya is her senior in the academy. Their paths cross again, tension arises, she faces discrimination, and there are efforts to push her out. But she persists.
- Murder mystery track: One of the later tracks involves a resort where a film shoot is taking place, and an actress named Anjana is murdered. Surya and Kayal jointly investigate a child-trafficking racket (“Kasi gang”) and uncover conspiracies. This added investigative element increases the suspense.
Cast & Characters
Here are the main characters and their actors:
| Character | Role / Relationship | Actor |
| Kayalvizhi “Kayal” | Female lead; initially under-age wife, later police academy trainee; Surya’s wife | Darshini Gowda |
| Suryakumar “Surya” IPS | Male lead; strict and ambitious IPS officer; husband of Kayal | Sameer Ahamathu |
| Rajeshwari (Raji) | Surya’s elder sister-in-law; negative shades | Syamantha Kiran |
| Uthaman | Kayal’s father, has debts; under pressure | Kammapandi |
| Kalyani | Kayal’s mother | Sri Latha |
| Kavitha | Kayal’s first elder sister | Sathya Prathyusha |
| Gayathri | Kayal’s second older sister; was supposed to marry Surya, but elopes with lover | VJ Mohana |
| Kamala | Surya’s mother; critical of Kayal | Indumathy Manikandan |
| Dhanam | Supporting character | Rekha Angelina |
| Ranjith | Surya’s elder brother | Nathan Shyam |
Timing, Reception & Why It Worked
- As noted, the show started on 4 January 2021, airing in the prime evening slot of 9:30 PM IST.
- It maintained a strong run for over 1.5 years (nearly 22 months) spanning 562 episodes. That’s quite successful for a Tamil serial in recent times.
- The mix of family drama + romance + suspense (murder mystery) kept viewer interest high. The moral conflicts, ethical dilemmas, and strong female lead trying to prove herself in a male-dominated sphere (police/authority) also resonated.
- The remake aspect (from Marathi original) helped in structuring a tested storyline, adapted to cultural specifics of Tamil Nadu.
- Cast performances (especially of the leads Darshini Gowda, Sameer Ahamathu) were well-received. Also the antagonists, supporting family members, and plot twists added drama.
Things You Might Not Know / Interesting Facts
- Remake lineage: The story is adapted from Marathi show Raja Ranichi Ga Jodi. This shows the popularity and adaptability of the core storyline across languages.
- Theme song & title sequence: The song “Vaa Vaa Magarasi” sets a certain mood, reinforcing tradition, romance, softness mixed with struggle.
- Story evolution: What begins as family drama becomes law & order / investigative drama with the murder mystery track, adding variety. This helps prevent monotony.
- Lead actor’s debut: Sameer Ahamathu makes his debut in television with this show; Darshini Gowda transitions from Kannada TV.
