Kusum Dola

Kusum Dola is an Indian Bengali television soap opera which aired on Bengali Entertainment Channel Star Jalsha and is available on the digital platform Hotstar.[1] It premiered on 22 August 2016, and was telecast daily.[2] It was produced by Magic Moments Motion Pictures of Saibal Banerjee and Leena Ganguly.[3] In January 2018, it had a TRP of 11.2.[4] The series ended on 2 September 2018, airing 731 episodes; and was replaced by Irabotir Chupkotha.

Kusum Dola
Genre	Soap opera
Developed by	Leena Gangopadhyay
Written by	Leena Gangopadhyay
Directed by	Saibal Banerjee Sujit Paain
Creative director	Leena Gangopadhyay
Presented by	Bright Advertising Pvt. Ltd.
Starring	Madhumita Sarkar Rishi Kaushik Aparajita Ghosh Das
Theme music composer	Debojyoti Mishra
Opening theme	"Kusum Dola"
Composer	Debojyoti Mishra
Country of origin	India
Original language	Bengali
No. of seasons	12 (as listed by Hotstar)
No. of episodes	731
Production
Executive producers	Sumit Roy Satyajit Chakraborty (Magic Moments)
Producer	Saibal Banerjee
Production locations	Kolkata Jaisalmer North Bengal
Cinematography	Siddhartha Mukherjee
Editors	Sameer Soumen
Camera setup	Multi-Camera
Running time	22 minutes (approx.)
Production company	Magic Moments Motion Pictures
Distributor	Star India Novi Digital Entertainment
Release
Original network	Star Jalsha
Picture format	576i 1080i HDTV
Audio format	Digital TV
Original release	22 August 2016 – 2 September 2018
Chronology
Related shows	Nenjam Marappathillai
External links
Hotstar

Kusum Dola is a love triangle based series which starred Madhumita Sarkar, Rishi Kaushik and Aparajita Ghosh Das[5] in lead roles, the latter two for the third time since their corresponding portrayal of the characters "Indra" and "Mohor" in the 2005 Zee Bangla television drama serial Ekdin Pratidin,[6] and their respective characterizations of "Ujaan" and "Hiya" in the 2008 Star Jalsha romantic drama series Ekhane Aakash Neel, which ended in 2010.

Plot

Emon Mukherjee is a fearless, kind-hearted, studious, and short-tempered girl who aspires to be a doctor lives with her father Police Officer Jayanta Mukherjee in Sundarpur, a village in North Bengal. On the other hand, Ranojoy Chatterjee aka Rono, a Kolkata-based IPS Officer gets his first posting in Sundarpur.

On a trip to Jaisalmer,Rono meets Roopkatha. They develop romantic feelings but are unable to express them. As they bid adieu, Rono promises to call her. Rono gets posted to Sundarpur where he meets his trainer Jayanta Mukherjee and his daughter, Emon. Rono misplaces Roopkatha's phone number, who feeling cheated, decides to move on, and incidentally is married to Rono's cousin, Badshah.

Rono confronts Roopkatha and while the misunderstanding is cleared, Rono refuses to break up his brother's marriage but promises Roopkatha he would never love another woman. When Badshah discovers their story, he quietly leaves his house not wanting to get between Rono and Roopkatha.

In Sundarpur, Jayanta is shot by local goon Gogna. Rono promises a dying Jayanta he would take care of Emon and marries her under social pressure. He tells Emon of his emotional commitment to Roopkatha and Emon agrees not to expect him to fulfill the role of a husband. Emon continues her medical studies while struggling to win over Rono's family. Feeling betrayed by Rono, Roopkatha inflicts her frustrations on Emon. Rono gets emotionally attached to Emon seeing her efforts to help his family members and subsequently falls in love with her, but cannot confess.

Emon brings Badshah back into the house. Badshah wants to free Roopkatha from their namesake relationship but she proposes they continue using it to stay close to Rono. Emon finally confesses love to Rono on his birthday. A devastated Roopkatha tries to accuse Rono of impregnating her but seeing Emon's faith in Rono's innocence, she backs down and is about to leave the house when she is asked to stay by Badhsah and the family.

During Durga Puja celebrations, Emon helps Rono's sister, Koli, reunite with and marry her lover, Dipto. Rono's friend Krishnamoy dies leaving his pregnant widow, Shruti, in Rono's care. Emon and the family suspect Rono of having an affair and mistaking Shruti's child, Michhil, to be Rono's illegitimate child, Emon files for a divorce.

Rono is forced to leave the house and Shruti develops romantic feelings for him. Emon gets to know about pregnancy, but is abducted by the supposedly-dead Krishnamoy who seeks revenge from Rono, having misunderstood his relationship with Shruti. Emon is rescued by Rono, whom she once again misunderstands and files a lawsuit against Rono for infidelity. In court, Rono is proved innocent and Emon repents for her actions. Also, the court declares Rono-Emon's divorce to be null and void. Rono goes to meet Krishnamoy to plead with him to change his ways for Shruti and their baby but Krishna, in a fit of rage, shoots Rono, who is saved after Shruti donates blood for him. Krishna is arrested.

Post recovery, Rono and Emon resolve their differences and reunite. Gogna returns and kidnaps Emon, but is injured by Rono who comes to Emon's rescue. After Emon (now a medical intern) treats Gogna and saves him, he repents and decides to mend his ways. Roopkatha and Badhsah confess their feelings for each other and decide to start out afresh.

Shruti is revealed to be in the last stages of breast cancer and is dying. When Rono is unable to make it to Emon's delivery,[7][8] due to Shruti's operation, Emon breaks all ties with Rono and later, leaves for Ujanpur with her new-born daughter, Pekhom. Rono applies for a transfer to be with Emon and Pekhom. Shruti finally dies in Ujanpur Hospital[9] only after expressing her desire to Rono and Emon that they should reunite.

Later, Rono has to arrest Emon, regarding her role in the accidental death of a patient named Parasar. He arranges for her bail, and decides to find out the true culprits as well as the persons responsible for illegal trafficking of new born children from the hospital. Madhuparna defends Emon as her lawyer, and after Nurse Ratnabali is proven guilty, Emon is released. Emon and Rono finally resolve their differences and relocate themselves to Kolkata returning to the Chatterjee House.

Roopkatha grows jealous and agitated over Emon's happy and peaceful life, which she herself yearns for, having no children of her own. She acts out and to pacify her Emon gives her daughter Pekhom's charge to Roopkatha, who quickly becomes over-possessive of Pekhom. Krishnamoy too arrives, having been released from jail, to take his son Michhil back with him, leaving Rono brokenhearted.

Emon plans a family trip during which Badshah suffers a heart attack and suddenly dies. A desolate Roopkatha blames Emon. Roopkatha attempts suicide but is rescued by Rono. After Roopkatha is diagnosed with severe depression, Rono stands by her to help her recover as she begins to seek him as the loved one to fill in her loneliness.

Rono's family wants Roopkatha out of the house to avoid any further tensions but Rono dismisses the idea. Emon and other family members feel insecure due to Rono's growing proximity towards Roopkatha, and everyone suspect them of having an affair. A mentally unstable Roopkatha assumes herself to be pregnant and believes it to be Rono's child leading a heart-broken Emon to leave the house with Pekhom and working overtime to make ends meet. It is revealed that Roopkatha is not pregnant and instead has a tumour in her uterus that poses a threat to her life. Roopkatha struggles to accept the fact and is finally made to the leave the Chatterjee house for her own betterment so that she can start her life afresh. Emon and Rono, however, remain separated.

Epilogue – Five Years Later

Five years later, Roopkatha, now a college professor, meets Emon, now a successful doctor, to invite her to her wedding. Later, she meets Rono who has abandoned living with his family as well, to discuss her marriage preparations. Secretly, Roopkatha plans to reunite Emon-Rono by remarrying them on the day of her wedding and their twelfth marriage anniversary. Meanwhile, Emon receives the Konya Rotno award. Emon, as per Roopkatha's request, manages to bring the Chatterjees to Roopkatha's wedding, much to their distaste, as all assume that Roopkatha is marrying Rono. However, Roopkatha surprises everyone by introducing Alok as her groom.

Emon and Rono have an emotional confrontation, marking their reunion, sorting out all their differences. His family members also realise his innocence and reunite with him, welcoming him and Emon back into their family. Lastly, Roopkatha, taking the heartfelt apologies, blessings and good wishes from the Chatterjees, marries Alok, marking a new phase in her life, as the series ends on a joyous note.

Cast

Main

• Madhumita Sarkar[10] as Dr. Emon Mukherjee: an M.B.B.S. and M.D. private-practicing doctor and college lecturer, Rono's wife, Pekhom's mother.
• Rishi Kaushik[11] as Ranojoy "Rono" Chatterjee: an IPS officer, Emon's husband, Pekhom's father, Roopkatha's former love interest and later on, close friend.
• Aparajita Ghosh Das[12] as Roopkatha "Doll" Ghoshal: Rono's lover turned sister-in-law and close friend later on, formerly Badshah's wife, a college professor and Alok's wife.

Chatterjee family

• Madhabi Mukherjee as Madhabilata Mukherjee a.k.a. Madhu – The eldest Chatterjee sibling as well as the eldest daughter of the Chatterjee household. She is Badshah's mother, Rono's paternal aunt and previously, Roopkatha's mother-in-law.
• Sabitri Chatterjee[13][14] as Sabitri Chatterjee a.k.a. Sabu – The second Chatterjee sibling and the second-eldest daughter of the Chatterjee household. She is Rono's paternal aunt.
• Santu Mukherjee as Jyotirmoy Chatterjee a.k.a. Habu – The fourth of the Chatterjee siblings and the second son of the Chatterjee household. He is Radharani's husband, Rono's father, Emon's father-in-law and Pekhom's grandfather.
• Goutam De as Hiranmoy Chatterjee a.k.a. Gabu – The fifth Chatterjee sibling and the third son of the Chatterjee household and a close associate of his elder brother, Habu. He is Sapna's husband, Tublu's father, Rono's paternal uncle and Mithu's father-in-law.
• Laboni Sarkar as Kumudini Bose (née Chatterjee) a.k.a. Kumu – The sixth-known Chatterjee sibling and the youngest daughter of the Chatterjee household. She is Rono's paternal aunt.
• Anusuya Majumdar as Nayanmani Chatterjee – The wife of Chinmoy Chatterjee, Koli's mother, Rono's aunt and Dipto's mother-in-law.
• Rita Dutta Chakraborty as Radharani Chatterjee – Jyotirmoy's wife and the second daughter-in-law of the Chatterjee household. She is Rono's mother, Emon's mother-in-law and Pekhom's grandmother.
• Suchismita Chowdhury as Sapna Chatterjee – Hiranmoy's wife and the third daughter-in-law of the Chatterjee household. She is Tublu's mother, Rono's aunt and Mithu's mother-in-law.
• Shankar Chakraborty as Dr. Ananyo Bose – Kumudini's husband, Ani's father, Rono's uncle. He was Emon's professor in college and became her senior colleague.
• Badshah Moitra[15] as Mrityunjoy Mukherjee a.k.a. Badshah – A former army officer who previously worked as an N.G.O. worker as well. He is Madhabilata's son, Rono's elder cousin brother and Roopkatha's husband. He was also Emon's sworn elder brother.
• Bidipta Chakraborty as Kamalkoli Bose (née Chatterjee) a.k.a. Koli – Nayanmani's daughter, Dipto's wife and Rono's elder cousin.
• Suman Banerjee as Anirban Bose a.k.a. Ani – Ananyo-Kumudini's son, a XEROX shop-owner and Rono's elder cousin.
• Sudip Sarkar[16] as Tanmoy Chatterjee a.k.a. Tublu – Hiranmoy-Sapna's son, Mithu's husband, Rono's younger cousin brother and Emon's sworn brother.
• Abhishek Chatterjee as Diptoman Bose a.k.a. Dipto, Koli's husband and Rono's brother-in-law.
• Sneha Chatterjee Bhowmik as Mayitree Chatterjee a.k.a. Mithu, Tublu's wife and Rono's sister-in-law

Others

• Chandan Sen as Jayanta Mukherjee – Emon's father and a police officer.
• Subhadra Chakraborty as Bhanumati a.k.a. Bhanu – Emon's caretaker and foster mother.
• Phalguni Chatterjee as Nirupam Ghoshal – Roopkatha's father.
• Saswati Guha Thakurata as Jayashree Ghoshal – Roopkatha's mother.
• Joyjit Banerjee as Gogna – A local goon of Sundarpur village
• Debjani Chakraborty Kaushik in a cameo appearance as a silly girl and co-passenger in bus (2016)
• Debolina Mukherjee in a cameo appearance as another silly girl (the first girl's sister) and co-passenger in a bus (2016)
• Tathagata Mukherjee as Krishnamoy Bose "Kanhaiya" – Ranojoy's college friend, Shruti's husband, the former leader of an anti-social rebel group, Michhil's father.
• Roosha Chatterjee as Shruti Ghosh Bose – Krishanmoy's wife, Michhil's mother, Rono's protégé-turned-close friend.
• Anindita Saha Kapileshwari in a cameo appearance as Shruti's neighbour. (December 2017)
• Koushik Roy as Shramanjit Ganguly – Rono's lawyer and later on, friend, Madhuparna's husband.
• Madhubani Ghosh as Madhuparna Sen / Madhuparna Ganguly – Emon's lawyer and later on, friend, Shramanjit's wife.
• Kaushik Chakraborty as Dr. Amolin Bose – Emon's senior colleague at Ujanpur Government Nursing Home.
• Diganta Bagchi as Emon's opposition lawyer
• Debdut Ghosh as Alok Majumdar – Roopkatha's second husband (cameo appearance in the last episode)

Background and production

Development

Screenwriter Leena Gangopadhyay[17] who has previously written down the script for Bengali TV shows like ETV Bangla's long-running drama series Sonar Horin and another daily soap Binni Dhaner Khoi, Zee Bangla's partition-themed love saga Keya Patar Nouko, and Star Jalsha's serials Ishti Kutum and Jol Nupur ; developed the central idea for Kusum Dola, whose premise was initially based on a love triangle.[3]

She made the main female protagonist, tentatively named Shimul, a village girl who is bright in her studies and quite upfront by nature. Circumstances force the girl to marry a man (the lead hero), who is previously committed to another woman (the third main lead). The story follows the man's story to get over his feelings for the other woman and how he finally falls in love with the heroine (Shimul). Ganguly decided to have the backdrop of an extended family, and had the other woman (named Roopkatha) marry the hero's brother and live in the same house as the hero (named Rono).[16]

Casting

Rishi Kaushik who had previously collaborated with Ganguly and Banerjee in their production Ishti Kutum,[18] was selected to portray the lead role of IPS Ranojoy Chatterjee a.k.a. Rono. Later Rishi said in a 2018 interview that his character "Rono" is reserved and headstrong like his real-life self.[19] Aparajita Ghosh Das who had been playing the heroine in another TV serial Kojagori (on Zee Bangla), was cast in to play the other prominent lead character, Roopkatha, taking into account her onscreen chemistry with Kaushik.[20] Actress Madhumita Sarkar, noted for her portrayal of Juni in medical romance-drama series Care Kori Na, and Pakhi and Khushi respectively in the romance saga Bojhena Se Bojhena; was cast to portray Shimul (later named Emon).[21]

Broadcast and streaming services

The series premiered on 22 August 2016 and replaced Prasenjit Chatterjee starrer Mahanayak TV series and was telecast everyday on Bengali GEC Star Jalsha and its corresponding channel with HD feed, Star Jalsha HD. It is available via optimum cable connection or by satellite TV connections. The show has been distributed by Star India, in association with Novi Digital Entertainment. On the digital platform, Kusum Dola is available for viewing on the app Hotstar. New episodes are released earlier than on TV, and the service is available for viewers having a premium subscription plan.[1]

Filming

The show has been filmed at several locations, the most prominent being Kalimpong.[22]

Soundtrack

The title song for the series Kusum Dola has been sung by singer Anwesha Dutta Gupta, who has frequently collaborated with the production house Magic Moments Motion Pictures for recording theme songs for Bengali television serials. While, the original music has been given by Debojyoti Mishra.[23]

Kusum Dola Soundtrack:

No.	Title	Singer	Length
1.	"Kusum Dola Title Song"	Anwesha Dutta Gupta	2:33

Remakes and dubbed version

Language	Title	Network(s)	Airing history	No Of Episodes
Bengali	Kusum Dola	Star Jalsha	22 August 2016- 2 September 2018	732
Tamil	Nenjam Marappathillai (TV series)[24]	Vijay TV	9 October 2017 – 23 February 2019	359
Hindi	Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Meiin	Star Plus	5 October 2020 – present	100
Telugu	Manasu Maata Vidahu (Dubbed Version of Nenjam Marappathillai)	Star Maa	15 September 2020 – present	Ongoing

References

1. "Official page of Kusum Dola serial on HOTSTAR". hotstar.com. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
2. "Kusum Dola – Star Jalsha Serial Information". bengalilyrics24.blogspot.com. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
3. "Reel versus real: Are television characters inspiring women in real life?". The Times of India. 8 March 2018.
4. "The ruling shows on Bengali television – Times of India".
5. "Rrishi and I look great onscreen". The Times of India. 18 January 2008.
6. "New stars in the sky". The Telegraph. 12 January 2005.
7. "Will Imon and Rono of Kusum Dola part ways?". The Times of India. 25 April 2018.
8. "Family dramas keep the viewers hooked in the IPL season". The Times of India. 27 April 2018.
9. "Kusum Dola, written update, May 31, 2018: Shruti dies in Ujanpur hospital". The Times of India. 1 June 2018.
10. "Madhumita Chakraborty shows her new moves". The Times of India. 1 April 2018.
11. "Biker boy". The Telegraph. 15 January 2018.
12. "আমরা হলাম 'অ্যান্টি'সোশ্যাল" (in Bengali). AnandaBazar Patrika. 11 July 2017.
13. "A well-deserved break for Sabitri Chatterjee". The Times of India. 21 February 2018.
14. "Sabitri Chatterjee loses her sister". The Times of India. 27 March 2018.
15. "It's important to open a dialogue with GTA and locals of Darjeeling: Badsha Maitra". The Times of India. 15 June 2017.
16. "Sudip is my discovery of this year: Leena Gangopadhyay". tellychakkar.com. 24 June 2017.
17. "নিজের খেয়ালে দুম করে কোনও শো ছেড়ে দেওয়া আমার মতে একটা ক্রাইম". ebela.in (in Bengali). 27 April 2017.
18. "Rrishii Kaushik gets nostalgic on the sets of Kusum Dola". The Times of India. 24 June 2018.
19. "Ronojoy's character has many shades: Rrishii Kaushik". The Times of India. 23 June 2018.
20. "TV show makers try the 'hit jodi' formula to gain TRPS". The Times of India. 31 March 2018.
21. "The Most Desirable women 2017 on Bengali television". The Times of India. 23 April 2018.
22. "Bengali serial unit shoots in Kalimpong". The Times of India. 15 June 2017.
23. "KUSUM DOLA (কুসুম-দোলা ) FULL SONG MADHUMITA RONOJOY ANWESHA DUTTA GUPTA 2018". Retrieved 27 June 2018 – via YouTube.
24. "TV show 'Kusum Dola' to have its Hindi remake?". The Times of India.

External links

• Official Website at Hotstar