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. It premiered on 22 August 2016, and was telecast daily. It was produced by Magic Moments Motion Pictures of Saibal Banerjee and Leena Ganguly. In January 2018, it had a TRP of 11.2. The series ended on 2 September 2018, airing 731 episodes; and was replaced by Irabotir Chupkotha.
Kusum Dola is a love triangle based series which starred Madhumita Sarkar, Rishi Kaushik and Aparajita Ghosh Das 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, and their respective characterizations of "Ujaan" and "Hiya" in the 2008 Star Jalsha romantic drama series Ekhane Aakash Neel, which ended in 2010.
Plot
On a trip to Jaisalmer, Kolkata-based IPS Officer Ranojoy Chatterjee aka 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 Police Officer Jayanta Mukherjee and his studious but outgoing and short-tempered 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 marryher 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 she is pregnant, 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 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, 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 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 cast
- Madhumita Sarkar 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 as Ranojoy Chatterjee a.k.a. Rono – an IPS officer, Emon's husband, Pekhom's father, Roopkatha's former love interest and later on, close friend.
- Aparajita Ghosh Das as Roopkatha Ghoshal a.k.a. Doll – Rono's lover turned sister-in-law and close friend later on, formerly Badshah's wife, a college professor and finally, Alok's wife.
Recurring cast
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 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 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 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 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.
- Rishi Kaushik as IPS Ranojoy Chatterjee a.k.a. Rono – Jyotirmoy-Radharani's son, an IPS officer and Emon's husband, Pekhom's father
- Sudip Sarkar as Tanmoy Chatterjee a.k.a. Tublu – Hiranmoy-Sapna's son, Mithu's husband, Rono's younger cousin brother and Emon's sworn brother.
- Aparajita Ghosh Das as Roopkatha Ghoshal Mukherjee a.k.a. Doll – Nirupam-Jayashree's daughter, Badshah's wife and Rono's lover turned sister-in-law.
- Abhishek Chatterjee as Diptoman Bose a.k.a. Dipto, Koli's husband and Rono's brother-in-law.
- Madhumita Sarkar as Dr. Emon Mukherjee / Emon Chatterjee – Late Jayanta Mukherjee's daughter, an M.B.B.S. and M.D. degree-holder, previously a government service doctor and then, a private practitioner and college lecturer by profession. She is Rono's wife and Pekhom's mother.
- 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
- Debolina Mukherjee in a cameo appearance as another silly girl and co-passenger in a bus
- 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 protegé-turned-close friend.
- Anindita Saha Kapileshwari in a cameo appearance as Shruti's neighbour.
- 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
Background and production
Development
Screenwriter Leena Gangopadhyay 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.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, who is previously committed to another woman. 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. Ganguly decided to have the backdrop of an extended family, and had the other woman marry the hero's brother and live in the same house as the hero.