Selvi was a Tamil

Tamil language

Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...

 soap opera

Soap opera

A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...

 aired on India's Sun TV (India)

Sun TV (India)

Sun TV is a regional Indian cable television station. It is the flagship channel of the Chennai-based Sun Network. It was founded and currently owned by Kalanidhi Maran. It was the first fully privately owned television channel in India when it emerged in 1992...

 Network. It is produced by Radaan Mediaworks (I) Limited, as the successor to its two previous hit serials, Chithi and Annamalai. Its 499 episodes run began on 24 January 2005 and came to an end on 29 December 2006. This serial was dubbed in Telugu and was Broadcast in Gemini TV as "Lakshmi".

Plot summary

The story revolves around two best friends, Selvi and Tamarai (portrayed by the veteran Tamil actresses Raadhika Sarathkumar

Raadhika Sarathkumar

Radhika Sarathkumar is a Tamil television and film actress, successful entrepreneur and producer. She is the founder of Radaan Mediaworks, which has produced the successful serials Chithi, Annamalai, Selvi, Arasi, and Idi Katha Kadu . She is currently acting in the serial Chellamay for Sun TV...

 and Saritha

Saritha

Saritha is a South Indian actress. She has acted in at least 141 feature films, and was cast in the television serial Selvi in 2005. Her mainstream career spanned from 1979 to 1989, when she took a break to marry Indian actor and producer Mukesh and raise their two sons...

 respectively). Selvi is the main heroine, the eldest child of a wealthy Sri Lankan jeweller. However, her father loses his entire fortune to his devious partner, and flees Sri Lanka. Selvi is forced to support her family, which consists of her stepmother Thangam, 2 half-brothers and 3 half-sisters.

The first few episodes were shot in Sri Lanka. Eventually the story moved to India, where Selvi brings along her family hoping to pay off her father's debts. In Chennai is her best friend Tamarai, who is happily married, with 2 young children, to GJ. Unbeknownst to Tamarai, her husband is really a fraud. Selvi eventually ends up working in GJ's company and he finds her to be a very able businesswoman.

Unfortunately, soon after Selvi comes to India, an accident occurs which leaves Tamarai comatose. In the meanwhile, GJ plots to remarry to a wealthy heiress, Maya. But in time, he comes to realise that Selvi would make a far better bride. Despite Selvi's unwillingness, both her own family and Tamarai's force her to marry GJ. Soon after GJ and Selvi consummate their marriage, Tamarai awakens from her coma. Selvi is more than willing to leave the marriage she was forced into, but then discovers she is pregnant.

The truth of her best friend marrying her husband is kept from Tamarai until the day Selvi gives birth to a daughter. When Tamarai finds out, it seems the close friendship between the two is over.

Ending

GJ does illegal drug business in the name of Tamarai. This illegal business was busted as it caused many to die, which made police to arrest Tamarai as everything was on her name. GJ intentionally neither make an attempt to bring her out nor accepts the crime. Using this opportunity, GJ transfers all of Tamarai's properties in his name. After which, GJ goes to jail to see Maya to start another life with her. While he was explaining his motives and how he got Thamarai involved in this to Maya, Thamarai gets to hear everything. Thamarai realises the crookedness of GJ and commits suicide in the jail itself. Selvi grieves that Thamarai never understood her intention and sacrifices. After few days, Selvi gets a letter from Thamarai explaining everything and seeking apology from her. Thamarai also wanted her son and daughter to grow with Selvi rather GJ. Finally, Selvi goes to GJ's house shows the letter and brings back Thamarai's kids with her. She leaves GJ as a lone wolf.

Selvi provided the Scottish thespian Alan McGregor with his first screen break, playing the Harley Street

Harley Street

Harley Street is a street in the City of Westminster in London, England which has been noted since the 19th century for its large number of private specialists in medicine and surgery.- Overview :...

 plastic surgeon "Dr. Alan". McGregor reprised the role in a later episode, before moving to Gurgaon

Gurgaon

Gurgaon is the second largest city in the Indian state of Haryana. Gurgaon is the industrial and financial center of Haryana. It is located 30 km south of national capital New Delhi, about 10 kilometers from Dwarka Sub City and 268 km south of Chandigarh, the state capital...

, near Delhi, to pursue a career in the more lucrative Bollywood

Bollywood

Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...

 market.

Sequel

Many fans were left unsatisfied with the ending, which had several loose ends. However, starting on 3 January 2007, another Radaan Mediaworks production in the same timeslot, "Arasi", continues to the story of Selvi, although the major driver of the original serial - the friendship between Selvi and Tamarai - is over since the latter's death. (This was probably motivated by the resignation of Saritha who played Tamarai.) At the same time, "Arasi" introduced a new titular character, also played by Radhikaa. Arasi is a high-ranking police officer, married to a retired judge with two grown-up children. However, her respectability and idyllic family life is threatened when it comes to light that the illegitimate daughter she bore when she was 18 is still alive - none other than Selvi, who believes her father is Yogeswaran and that her mother is his dead first wife. The paths of mother and daughter are set to collide in the holy city of Rameshwaram.

At last selvi ended and it started in the name of Arasi

Arasi

The Tamil tele-serial "Arasi" is the sequel to "Selvi", the previous offering from Radaan Mediaworks in the 9.30-10 PM timeslot...

.