''Ramany vs Ramany'' (also spelled as ''Ramani vs Ramani'') is a

Tamil-language Tamil (, , , also written as ''Tamizhil'' according to linguistic pronunciation) is a Dravidian language natively spoken by the Tamil people of South Asia. It is one of the longest-surviving classical languages in the world,. "Tamil is one ...

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

directed by Naga and produced by K. Balachander under the banner of Min Bimbangal. It is recognized as the first ever Tamil sitcom. The series humorously depicts the daily life of a married couple, both named Ramany, highlighting their interpersonal clashes and quirky adventures. The narrative revolves around Mr. Ramany, an innocent sales representative, and Mrs. Ramany, a dissatisfied housewife who frequently laments her husband's shortcomings. The series originally aired in two seasons. The first season, starring Vasuki Anand and Prithvi Raj, premiered on Sun TV in 1998 and consisted of 25 episodes. The second season, featuring Ram G and

Devadarshini Devadarshini is an Indian actress who predominantly appears in Tamil films, in addition to few Telugu, Malayalam films and television series. She began her career as a television anchor and entered cinema playing supporting and comedic roles. ...

, aired on

Raj TV Raj TV is a Tamil language Indian general entertainment channel based in Chennai, India, which was launched on 14 October 1994. Rajtv became as the second most popular channel in Tamil. It is available through digital and mobile entertainment ...

in 2001 with a total of 51 episodes. Both seasons were later re-telecast on Vasanth TV and uploaded to Kavithalayaa's YouTube channel, where they gained a renewed audience and popularity. In 2022, a third season titled '' Ramany vs Ramany 3.0'' was released as a web series on aha. Vasuki Anand and Ram G reprised their roles from the earlier seasons, while Devadarshini did not return. The season marked the show's transition to digital platforms, with the first episode premiering on 4 March 2022.

Plot

Season 1

The story centers on Mr. Ramany ( Prithivi Raj), the youngest child in a family with three older sisters. As the much-anticipated male child, he enjoys a privileged position in the family, which sparks jealousy among his sisters. Raised in a strict household with a father who enforces military-like discipline and a mother who constantly lectures as a primary school teacher, Mr. Ramany longs to escape his family environment and dreams of moving to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. However, his plans are thwarted when his family insists he marries a woman with the same name, Ramany (Vasuki), who has briefly lived in the United States. Despite their shared name, the two are vastly different individuals with conflicting personalities and aspirations. The marriage, arranged by their families, leads to a comical dynamic as the couple struggles with their incompatibilities and frequent disagreements. The series humorously portrays their everyday life, exploring the challenges and quirks of their relationship.

Season 2

Season 2 focuses on the comedic daily life of a middle-class household led by Mrs. Ramany (

) and her husband Mr. Ramany ( Ram G), along with their young daughter Ramya. The story explores the couple's longing for the carefree days of their early marriage and the ways their lives have evolved after becoming parents. Mr. Ramany, a humorous and innocent sales representative, frequently finds himself in troublesome situations, often requiring Mrs. Ramany to intervene and resolve them. Mrs. Ramany, a typical Tamil housewife, navigates the challenges of managing their household and often expresses frustration over her husband’s lack of ambition, reminiscing about the better suitors she could have married. Despite her complaints, her practical nature helps the family overcome various challenges. Their daughter Ramya serves as the voice of reason, often providing sensible insights during ridiculous situations. Nair, a family friend, lives in the outhouse for a nominal rent and frequently becomes entangled in the family's affairs. Uncle Chandhru, a well-meaning but overconfident man, often lands in trouble due to his limited knowledge. Adding to the humour are Mrs. Ramany’s mother and the gossip-loving maid, Kamala, who contribute to the household's lively atmosphere.

Cast

Season 1

* Prithvi Raj as Mr.Ramany *

Vasuki Vasuki () is the king of the nagas in Hinduism. He is described as having a gem called '' Nagamani'' (serpent's ornament) on his head. Shesha, another king of the nagas and the bed on which Vishnu rests, is his elder brother, and Manasa, a ...

as Mrs. Ramany *

Poovilangu Mohan Poovilangu Mohan () is an Indian film and television actor. He got the sobriquet "Poovilangu" because of his performance in the Tamil film '' Poovilangu''. He has acted in more than 100 movies in supporting roles and played leading parts in man ...

as Mr. Ramany's father *Mythily *Gnanam *Sreenivasan *Judge Rajagopal * Chetan as a thief/Sarathy *Vivek *Durga *Thadi Balaji as Dr. Babu/Odissi dance shoot director (episodes 2,18) *M. V. Raman *Telephone Venkatraman *Samuel *

Benjamin Benjamin ( ''Bīnyāmīn''; "Son of (the) right") blue letter bible: https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h3225/kjv/wlc/0-1/ H3225 - yāmîn - Strong's Hebrew Lexicon (kjv) was the younger of the two sons of Jacob and Rachel, and Jacob's twe ...

as Lawyer Krishnamoorthy (episode 7) *Jayanthi *

Krishnan Krishnan is a common name in South India, which refers to the Hindu deity Krishna. It is also combined with other names into a single name such as Ananthakrishnan, Balakrishnan, Gopalakrishnan, Jayakrishnan, Muralikrishnan, Ramakrishnan, Radhakris ...

as Police officer (episode 10) *R.K.D. Srinivasan *Sambantham *Rani *Vinai * Deepa Venkat as Lavanya, Mrs. Ramany's cousin sister (episode 15) *Ramachandran *Malini *Sureshwar *Ragavesh *Priya Gariyali *

Riyaz Khan Riyaz Khan is an Indian actor and bodybuilder. He predominantly works in Malayalam cinema, Malayalam and Tamil cinema, Tamil films and television series, besides acting in a few Telugu language, Telugu and Kannada cinema, Kannada films, as well ...

as Suresh, Mrs. Ramany's cousin brother (episodes 19,20) *Hanumanthu

Season 2

* Ram G as Mr. Ramany *

as Mrs. Ramany * Nair Raman as Nair * Sreenivasan as Chandramoulli * Shobana as Kamala * Baby Ranjitha as Ramya (Ramanys' daughter) *

as Renigunta Venkatrama Reddy (Mr. Ramany's boss) (episodes 20, 38, 43) * M.Bhanumati as Sharada, Mrs.Ramany's mother *

Ajay Rathnam Ajay Rathnam is an Indian actor who has worked predominantly in Tamil films and serials apart from few Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi and Kannada films. He is known for his supporting and negative roles and has acted in over 300 movies. Standing at ...

as Radhakrishnan, Mrs. Ramany's childhood friend (episodes 10,19) *

as tennis player/film director (episodes 17, 45) *

Samuthirakani P. Samuthirakani (born 26 April 1973) is an Indian actor and film director who works predominantly in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films. He worked as an assistant to director K. Balachander, in '' Paarthale Paravasam''. He won the National F ...

as Sales representative/Census taker/Director/Groom (episodes 11,31,45,51) * Sadhasivam as Ramany's father * Ramachandran as Dharmarajan/Hari Babu (episodes 33,34) *

as Uttama Ulaganathan/man at the bus stop (episodes 33,34,37) * Thadi Balaji as M.N. Dharmarajan (episode 41) * S Gnanavel * Mohan Vaidya as Mr. Ramany's uncle "Paatu Chittappa" (episode 21) * Muthu Subramanium * Brindha * Ganesh Babu * Karpagam * Krishna * Tharika as Chandra (episode 15) * Thaatsayani * Rangarajan * Preeth * Rushario * Valli Nayagam * T. K. S. Chandran as Doctor Reinsein Aayiravatham (episodes 27,32,37,45) * Telephone Venkatraman * Gnanavel * Hari * Rajesh * Vijayapriya * Ezhilarasi * Mahesh * 'Mimicry' Giri * Kantha Rao * Ganesan * "Mittai" Shanmugam * Vairavaraj * Citizen Sivakumar * Usha * Mathiazhagan * Amar * Dhandapani * Radhakrishnan

Season 3

*Ram G as Mr. Ramany *Vasuki Anand as Mrs. Ramany

Production

Naga, the show's director, conceptualized the series as a relatable and comedic portrayal of married life. Renowned filmmaker K. Balachander produced the series, adding to its appeal with his banner Min Bimbangal. The series' popularity was initially driven by its originality and humour, making it a standout amidst Tamil television's melodramatic offerings. Its re-telecast on Vasanth TV and availability on Kavithalayaa's YouTube channel revived interest among a new generation of viewers.

Reception and legacy

''Ramany vs Ramany'' is celebrated for its witty writing, engaging characters, and universal appeal. It became one of the most beloved Tamil sitcoms, maintaining its charm through repeated telecasts and a successful reboot. The show is considered a pioneering effort in Tamil television comedy, influencing subsequent sitcoms in the region.

References

{{Sun TV shows Raj TV television series Sun TV original programming 1990s Tamil-language television series 2000s Tamil-language television series Tamil-language television shows Tamil-language comedy television series