{ "id": "epn56v3d4q", "slug": "sweet-kaaram-coffee", "title": "Sweet Kaaram Coffee", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials", "label": "International serial drama and telenovelas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia", "label": "South and Southeast Asian serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.tamil_serials", "label": "Tamil serials", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.tamil_serials" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials", "label": "India · 2021 and later: International serial drama and telenovelas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials", "path": [ { "id": "geo.ind", "label": "India", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021", "label": "India · 2021 and later", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series", "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series" }, { "id": "geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials", "label": "International serial drama and telenovelas", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.ind.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Sweet Kaaram Coffee (இனிப்பு காரம் காபி) is a 2023 Tamil Prime Video series, eight episodes, created by Reshma Ghatala, starring Lakshmi, Madhoo and Santhy Balachandran on a road trip; also a Chennai snack brand.", "snippet": "Sweet Kaaram Coffee (இனிப்பு காரம் காபி) is a 2023 Tamil Prime Video series, eight episodes, created by Reshma Ghatala, starring Lakshmi, Madhoo and Santhy Balachandran on a road trip; also a Chennai snack brand.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_south_asia.tamil_serials", "markdown": "# Sweet Kaaram Coffee\n\n**Sweet Kaaram Coffee** (இனிப்பு காரம் காபி) is a 2023 Tamil-language drama series that premiered on Amazon Prime Video on 6 July 2023, following three women of different generations from the same family who leave home on a road trip to put themselves ahead of the people they are bound by.[1](https://www.indiatoday.in/entertainment/ott/story/lakshmi-madhoo-santhys-sweet-kaaram-coffee-to-premiere-on-this-date-2398489-2023-06-27) • [2](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/70250/sweet-kaaram-coffee) The same name also belongs to a Chennai-based South Indian snack brand, covered below.[3](https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/how-sweet-karam-coffee-grew-from-a-rs-2-000-home-business-to-a-rs-580-crore-brand-12178491)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Premiere | 6 July 2023, Prime Video, in Tamil with dubs in Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi[1](https://www.indiatoday.in/entertainment/ott/story/lakshmi-madhoo-santhys-sweet-kaaram-coffee-to-premiere-on-this-date-2398489-2023-06-27) • [4](https://telanganatoday.com/sweet-kaaram-coffee-a-prime-video-original-series-to-start-streaming-on-july-6) |\n| Format | Eight episodes, about 41 minutes each; genres listed as drama, comedy and family[2](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/70250/sweet-kaaram-coffee) • [5](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/sweet-kaaram-coffee) |\n| Lead cast | Lakshmi as Sundari, Madhoo as Kaveri, Santhy Balachandran as Niveditha[6](https://scroll.in/reel/1051990/scroll_in) |\n| Creative team | Created by Reshma Ghatala; directed by Bejoy Nambiar, Krishna Marimuthu and Swathi Raghuraaman; produced by Lion Tooth Studios; music by Govind Vasantha[7](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/news/sweet-kaaram-coffee-amazon-prime-video-release-date-cast-madhoo-lakshmi-santhy-balachandran-tamil-series-episodes-4156314) • [5](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/sweet-kaaram-coffee) |\n| Plot | A grandmother, her daughter-in-law and her granddaughter leave Chennai on a road trip toward Goa that eventually reaches Dharamsala[8](https://thefederal.com/entertainment/sweet-karam-coffee-review-a-spirited-take-on-3-womens-journey-to-recognise-their-self-worth) |\n| Audience rating | 7.1 on IMDb (about 2,900 votes)[5](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/sweet-kaaram-coffee) |\n| Namesake brand | Sweet Karam Coffee, a snack company founded in Chennai in 2015, valued at Rs 5.8 billion (Rs 580 crore)[3](https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/how-sweet-karam-coffee-grew-from-a-rs-2-000-home-business-to-a-rs-580-crore-brand-12178491) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Premise and characters\n\nThe series centers on Sundari (Lakshmi), a recently widowed grandmother who lives with her son Rajaratnam (Kavin Jay Babu), her daughter-in-law Kaveri (Madhoo), her grandson Bala (Bala Suresh) and her granddaughter Niveditha (Santhy Balachandran).[6](https://scroll.in/reel/1051990/scroll_in) After a family dinner in which Rajaratnam mocks the idea of the women going trekking, the three set off on a road trip toward Goa.[8](https://thefederal.com/entertainment/sweet-karam-coffee-review-a-spirited-take-on-3-womens-journey-to-recognise-their-self-worth) • [9](https://www.cineblues.com/ott-web-series-review/sweet-kaaram-coffee-lakshmi-madhoo-santhy)\n\nEach woman carries a separate conflict. Sundari, described by one reviewer as the thrill-seeking one willing to drive all night while the others sleep, is secretly searching for a mysterious figure from her past, whose identity is revealed only at the end.[8](https://thefederal.com/entertainment/sweet-karam-coffee-review-a-spirited-take-on-3-womens-journey-to-recognise-their-self-worth) Kaveri is a housewife treated as taken for granted by her family, and her character transforms the most over the journey.[8](https://thefederal.com/entertainment/sweet-karam-coffee-review-a-spirited-take-on-3-womens-journey-to-recognise-their-self-worth) • [6](https://scroll.in/reel/1051990/scroll_in) Niveditha (Nivi) is a cricketer whose boyfriend Karthik (Dev), himself a highly rated state cricketer, wants her to quit the sport after marriage and to hide her profession from his parents.[8](https://thefederal.com/entertainment/sweet-karam-coffee-review-a-spirited-take-on-3-womens-journey-to-recognise-their-self-worth) • [10](https://www.indulgexpress.com/entertainment/tv/2023/Jul/10/ott-is-a-welcome-transition-dev-50822.html) On the trip she meets a doctor-biker, Vikram Singh Rathore (Vamsi Krishna), traveling with his gang toward Ladakh.[11](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/sweet-kaaram-coffee-review-a-brew-that-will-likely-have-you-asking-for-more-3-stars-4182501/amp/1)\n\nThe [British Board of Film Classification](https://www.edgepedia.org/british-board-of-film-classification), which rated the episodes for streaming in July 2023, noted the series' depiction of sexism, including a man telling his wife she could not handle traveling alone, and a storyline in which a husband's controlling behavior is clearly criticized.[12](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/sweet-kaaram-coffee-season-1-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmde0njez)\n\n## Production\n\nPrime Video announced the series in June 2023 as a Tamil Original created by Reshma Ghatala and produced by Lion Tooth Studios, with episodes directed by Bejoy Nambiar, Krishna Marimuthu and Swathi Raghuraaman.[7](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/news/sweet-kaaram-coffee-amazon-prime-video-release-date-cast-madhoo-lakshmi-santhy-balachandran-tamil-series-episodes-4156314) Swathi Raghuraaman was involved from the scripting stage and directed episodes 2 to 4; Krishna Marimuthu directed episodes 5 to 7.[13](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2023/jul/03/three-women-a-car-and-a-long-road-to-freedom-2590756.html) The writing team included Ghatala, Raghuraaman, Vinithra Madhavan Menon, Krishnaswamy Ramkumar and Siva Ananth, and the music was composed by [Govind Vasantha](https://www.edgepedia.org/govind-vasantha).[7](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/news/sweet-kaaram-coffee-amazon-prime-video-release-date-cast-madhoo-lakshmi-santhy-balachandran-tamil-series-episodes-4156314)\n\nDirector Swathi Raghuraaman described the intent as breaking the idea that it is unsafe for women outside their homes, and said the road trip is a metaphor about communication and living fully.[13](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2023/jul/03/three-women-a-car-and-a-long-road-to-freedom-2590756.html) For the veteran actor Lakshmi, a National Award winner, the series marked her OTT debut; she said her character Sundari seeks the individuality she lost when she married at 19.[4](https://telanganatoday.com/sweet-kaaram-coffee-a-prime-video-original-series-to-start-streaming-on-july-6) • [13](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2023/jul/03/three-women-a-car-and-a-long-road-to-freedom-2590756.html) Madhoo, known for *Roja*, and Santhy Balachandran, previously seen in *Gulmohar* and Malayalam films such as *Jallikattu*, also made their Tamil-series debuts with the show.[6](https://scroll.in/reel/1051990/scroll_in) • [4](https://telanganatoday.com/sweet-kaaram-coffee-a-prime-video-original-series-to-start-streaming-on-july-6)\n\n## Reception\n\nCritics were broadly warm toward the three lead performances while divided on the writing. Lakshmi's Sundari drew the strongest praise: The News Minute wrote that she outshines her co-stars and makes Sundari infectious and likeable, and NDTV called her outstanding while rating the series 3 out of 5.[14](https://www.thenewsminute.com/amp/story/tamil-nadu/sweet-kaaram-coffee-review-lakshmi-star-show-families-and-feminism-179473) • [11](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/sweet-kaaram-coffee-review-a-brew-that-will-likely-have-you-asking-for-more-3-stars-4182501/amp/1) Scroll.in described the show as an equal-part serving of sugar, spice and bitterness, praising the actors' lived-in chemistry and Kaveri's arc as the most interesting, while noting the series could have reached its destination sooner.[6](https://scroll.in/reel/1051990/scroll_in)\n\nRecurring criticisms concerned predictability and polish. Reviewers for Moneycontrol and The News Minute found the plot and conflicts familiar, with Moneycontrol noting that the women remain uniformly well-dressed and unweathered through the trip, which weakened the premise's realism.[15](https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/trends/entertainment/sweet-kaaram-coffee-review-lakshmi-madhoo-and-santhy-shine-in-a-predictable-series-10914721.html) • [14](https://www.thenewsminute.com/amp/story/tamil-nadu/sweet-kaaram-coffee-review-lakshmi-star-show-families-and-feminism-179473) The News Minute also questioned the near-exclusive use of [Carnatic music](https://www.edgepedia.org/carnatic-music) in the score and the ending's cliffhanger, which several reviews read as a setup for a second season.[14](https://www.thenewsminute.com/amp/story/tamil-nadu/sweet-kaaram-coffee-review-lakshmi-star-show-families-and-feminism-179473) • [6](https://scroll.in/reel/1051990/scroll_in) The Times of India gave the season 3.5 out of 5, calling it a feel-good slice-of-life drama.[16](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/reviews/tamil/sweet-kaaram-coffee/sweet-kaaram-coffee-season-1/amp_seasonreview/101476318.cms)\n\n## The Sweet Karam Coffee snack brand\n\nThe name also belongs to **Sweet Karam Coffee**, a direct-to-consumer South Indian snack brand founded in 2015 in a Chennai home kitchen by Nalini Parthiban, her husband Anand Bharadwaj, and their cousins Veera Raghavan and Srivatsan Sundararaman, with an initial investment of Rs 2,000.[3](https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/how-sweet-karam-coffee-grew-from-a-rs-2-000-home-business-to-a-rs-580-crore-brand-12178491) The name refers to the traditional snacking sequence in [South India](https://www.edgepedia.org/south-india): a sweet dish first, then karam (savory namkeen), ending with hot filter coffee.[17](https://yourstory.com/2023/12/sweet-karam-coffee-startup-delicious-homage-to-grandmas-recipe)\n\nThe company sells more than 100 products, including murukku, mixture, banana chips, Mysore Pak, laddus and South Indian filter coffee, made without palm oil, maida, vanaspati, added preservatives or artificial colors, and ships to more than 30 countries.[3](https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/how-sweet-karam-coffee-grew-from-a-rs-2-000-home-business-to-a-rs-580-crore-brand-12178491) By 2026 it reported more than 1.9 million (19 lakh) customers, over 6 million (60 lakh) orders, revenue growth from Rs 112.6 million (Rs 11.26 crore) to Rs 460 million (Rs 46 crore) in FY25, and a valuation of Rs 5.8 billion (Rs 580 crore), with about 45 percent of customers repeat buyers.[3](https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/how-sweet-karam-coffee-grew-from-a-rs-2-000-home-business-to-a-rs-580-crore-brand-12178491) In 2023 the company reported annual revenue over $1 million and raised $1.5 million for expansion.[18](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/success-is-sweet-and-savoury/articleshow/105527913.cms)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Lakshmi, Madhoo, Santhy's Sweet Kaaram Coffee to premiere on THIS date, India Today](https://www.indiatoday.in/entertainment/ott/story/lakshmi-madhoo-santhys-sweet-kaaram-coffee-to-premiere-on-this-date-2398489-2023-06-27)\n2. [Sweet Kaaram Coffee, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/70250/sweet-kaaram-coffee)\n3. [How Sweet Karam Coffee Grew From A Rs 2,000 Home Business To A Rs 580 Crore Brand, NDTV Food](https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/how-sweet-karam-coffee-grew-from-a-rs-2-000-home-business-to-a-rs-580-crore-brand-12178491)\n4. [Sweet Kaaram Coffee, a Prime Video Original series, to start streaming on July 6, Telangana Today](https://telanganatoday.com/sweet-kaaram-coffee-a-prime-video-original-series-to-start-streaming-on-july-6)\n5. [Sweet Kaaram Coffee streaming information, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/sweet-kaaram-coffee)\n6. [Sweet Kaaram Coffee review: Sugar, spice and bitterness, Scroll.in](https://scroll.in/reel/1051990/scroll_in)\n7. [Amazon Prime Video Sets July 6 Release Date for Tamil Original Series Sweet Kaaram Coffee, Gadgets 360](https://www.gadgets360.com/entertainment/news/sweet-kaaram-coffee-amazon-prime-video-release-date-cast-madhoo-lakshmi-santhy-balachandran-tamil-series-episodes-4156314)\n8. [Sweet Karam Coffee review: A spirited take on 3 women's journey to recognise their self-worth, The Federal](https://thefederal.com/entertainment/sweet-karam-coffee-review-a-spirited-take-on-3-womens-journey-to-recognise-their-self-worth)\n9. [Sweet Kaaram Coffee review: Why should boys have all the fun!, Cineblues](https://www.cineblues.com/ott-web-series-review/sweet-kaaram-coffee-lakshmi-madhoo-santhy)\n10. [OTT is a welcome transition: Dev, Indulge Express](https://www.indulgexpress.com/entertainment/tv/2023/Jul/10/ott-is-a-welcome-transition-dev-50822.html)\n11. [Sweet Kaaram Coffee Review: A Brew That Will Likely Have You Asking For More, NDTV](https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/sweet-kaaram-coffee-review-a-brew-that-will-likely-have-you-asking-for-more-3-stars-4182501/amp/1)\n12. [Sweet Kaaram Coffee - Season 1, British Board of Film Classification](https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/sweet-kaaram-coffee-season-1-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0xmde0njez)\n13. [Three women, a car, and a long road to freedom, The New Indian Express](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/2023/jul/03/three-women-a-car-and-a-long-road-to-freedom-2590756.html)\n14. [Sweet Kaaram Coffee review: Lakshmi is the star of this show on families and feminism, The News Minute](https://www.thenewsminute.com/amp/story/tamil-nadu/sweet-kaaram-coffee-review-lakshmi-star-show-families-and-feminism-179473)\n15. [Sweet Kaaram Coffee review: Lakshmi, Madhoo and Santhy shine in a predictable series, Moneycontrol](https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/trends/entertainment/sweet-kaaram-coffee-review-lakshmi-madhoo-and-santhy-shine-in-a-predictable-series-10914721.html)\n16. [Sweet Kaaram Coffee Season 1 Review, The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/web-series/reviews/tamil/sweet-kaaram-coffee/sweet-kaaram-coffee-season-1/amp_seasonreview/101476318.cms)\n17. [Sweet Karam Coffee wants to pay a delicious homage to grandma's timeless recipes, YourStory](https://yourstory.com/2023/12/sweet-karam-coffee-startup-delicious-homage-to-grandmas-recipe)\n18. [Success is sweet and savoury, The Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/success-is-sweet-and-savoury/articleshow/105527913.cms)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › South and Southeast Asian serials › Tamil serials*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/sweet-kaaram-coffee", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/sweet-kaaram-coffee.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Sweet Kaaram Coffee\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/sweet-kaaram-coffee. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Sweet Kaaram Coffee](https://www.edgepedia.org/sweet-kaaram-coffee)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/sweet-kaaram-coffee](https://www.edgepedia.org/sweet-kaaram-coffee). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Sweet Kaaram Coffee\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/sweet-kaaram-coffee. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Sweet Kaaram Coffee is a 2023 Tamil Prime Video series, eight episodes, created by Reshma Ghatala, starring Lakshmi, Madhoo and Santhy Balachandran on a road trip; also a Chennai snack brand." }