# Soul Stories
**Soul Stories** (Malayalam: സോൾ സ്റ്റോറീസ്) is a 2024 Malayalam-language anthology web series that presents five stories about women navigating daily life in a patriarchal society. It was directed and produced by Sanil Kalathil, and it premiered on the streaming platform ManoramaMax on October 18, 2024.[1](https://www.binged.com/reviews/soul-stories-series-review/) • [2](https://www.filmibeat.com/malayalam/movies/soul-stories/ott.html) • [3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/soul-stories)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Format | Five-episode anthology, each episode about 30 minutes long (JustWatch lists 32 minutes)[1](https://www.binged.com/reviews/soul-stories-series-review/) • [3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/soul-stories) |
| Premiere | October 18, 2024, on ManoramaMax; season finale aired November 14, 2024[2](https://www.filmibeat.com/malayalam/movies/soul-stories/ott.html) • [4](https://simkl.com/tv/2832411/soul-stories) |
| Creator | Sanil Kalathil, who wrote, directed and backed the series; screenplay by Libin Varghese from the director's story[1](https://www.binged.com/reviews/soul-stories-series-review/) • [5](https://www.mallurelease.com/2024/10/soul-stories-series.html) |
| Lead cast | Suhasini Maniratnam (Rani), Anarkali Marikar (Vaishnavi), Renji Panicker, Dayyana Hameed (Arundhathi), Gopika Manjusha (Daisy), Nimna Fathoomi, Sminu Sijo[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34221824/) • [7](https://www.keralatv.in/malayalam-web-series-releases-soul-stories/) |
| Language and country | Malayalam, produced in India by ManoramaMAX[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34221824/) |
| Reception | IMDb rating 7.5/10 from 59 users; Binged rated it 5/10 and Ottplay 3.0/5[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34221824/) • [1](https://www.binged.com/reviews/soul-stories-series-review/) • [8](https://www.ottplay.com/amp/review/soul-stories-review-anarkali-marikar-and-suhasini-maniratnams-series-stands-up-for-women/fd2623ac9b45) |
## Spoilers
### Premise and structure
The series brings together five standalone stories centered on a group of people who unite to look inward and search for meaning while living under a patriarchal society. The stories address the meaning of consent, balancing passion with familial duties, adolescent challenges, and self-respect and self-esteem.[3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/soul-stories) According to IMDb, the show's story centers on women from varied backgrounds who, each within her own situation, face obstacles imposed by society while pursuing freedom, respect, and a sense of their own value.[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34221824/)
Most of the series is set in and around a flat complex in urban Kerala, with an affluent setting for all its stories except *Neeril Veezhum Pookkal*, which takes place in a limited household near the railway tracks.[8](https://www.ottplay.com/amp/review/soul-stories-review-anarkali-marikar-and-suhasini-maniratnams-series-stands-up-for-women/fd2623ac9b45)
## The five episodes
**Kiss of Kochi.** The opening episode, starring Anarkali Marikar as Vaishnavi, asks what consent requires. Vaishnavi, a liberated corporate worker, is traumatized when a childhood friend, Raghav, kisses her out of the blue; the episode makes a case for consent even when the contact is non-sexual and between all genders, and Vaishnavi takes an unconventional route to assert her dominance.[8](https://www.ottplay.com/amp/review/soul-stories-review-anarkali-marikar-and-suhasini-maniratnams-series-stands-up-for-women/fd2623ac9b45) • [1](https://www.binged.com/reviews/soul-stories-series-review/)
**Rani's story.** [Suhasini Maniratnam](https://www.edgepedia.org/suhasini-maniratnam) plays Rani, who chases her dance aspirations while weighed down by family tasks; the episode asks when a woman actually gets to follow her dreams amid responsibilities placed on her at every phase of life. Ottplay's review notes this was reportedly the first time the veteran actress dubbed for her character in Malayalam.[8](https://www.ottplay.com/amp/review/soul-stories-review-anarkali-marikar-and-suhasini-maniratnams-series-stands-up-for-women/fd2623ac9b45)
**Simhathinte Madiyil** (English title "On the lap of a lion") follows the teenager Raiza, played by Nimna Fathoomi, who refuses to go to school, to the dismay of her parents; [Renji Panicker](https://www.edgepedia.org/renji-panicker) appears as a psychologist and Asha Aravind as the mother. The story examines conservatism within a school environment and society's tendency to sexualize any man-woman relationship.[8](https://www.ottplay.com/amp/review/soul-stories-review-anarkali-marikar-and-suhasini-maniratnams-series-stands-up-for-women/fd2623ac9b45) • [1](https://www.binged.com/reviews/soul-stories-series-review/)
**Neeril Veezhum Pookkal**, the longest episode at around 40 minutes, explores women's sexual choices and desires. It follows Arundhathi (Dayyana Hameed), a caretaker at an apartment, and her relationship with the more affluent resident Daisy, weaving class difference into the narrative.[8](https://www.ottplay.com/amp/review/soul-stories-review-anarkali-marikar-and-suhasini-maniratnams-series-stands-up-for-women/fd2623ac9b45)
**Brarthamanam**, the fifth episode, focuses on a young woman judged for her outfits and way of dressing, and the impact on her life and family relationships. Asha Madathil plays a central role in this episode, which tackles body image and body shaming and how society judges women's choices.[8](https://www.ottplay.com/amp/review/soul-stories-review-anarkali-marikar-and-suhasini-maniratnams-series-stands-up-for-women/fd2623ac9b45) • [9](https://thesouthfirst.com/entertainment/malayalam/interview-young-women-today-are-bold-enough-to-confront-issues-head-on-says-asha-madathil/)
## Production and crew
Soul Stories was produced by Manorama Max, which had earlier released its first original Malayalam series, Menaka, in 2019.[8](https://www.ottplay.com/amp/review/soul-stories-review-anarkali-marikar-and-suhasini-maniratnams-series-stands-up-for-women/fd2623ac9b45) • [11](https://www.manoramanews.com/entertainment/latest/2022/06/11/Ashwin-kumar-interview-about-menaka-season-2-web-series-for-manorama-max.html) The screenplay was written by Libin Varghese, who also appears in the cast as Josettan, Rani's husband, from a story by the director.[5](https://www.mallurelease.com/2024/10/soul-stories-series.html) • [6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34221824/) Sajan Kalathil handled cinematography and Ifthi composed the background score.[1](https://www.binged.com/reviews/soul-stories-series-review/) The cast also includes Wafa Khatheeja, Asha Madathil, and Sminu Sijo across the stories.[1](https://www.binged.com/reviews/soul-stories-series-review/) • [10](https://www.onmanorama.com/web-stories/entertainment/2024/10/18/malayalam-ott-releases-manorama-max-soul-stories-1000-babies-web-series.html) For Anarkali Marikar, the series was her debut web series.[7](https://www.keralatv.in/malayalam-web-series-releases-soul-stories/)
## Reception
Binged rated the series 5/10, calling it "a middling attempt at celebrating womanhood": it praised the ability to tap into the deeper concerns of women, the variety across the stories, and the performances, visualization and music, while citing a lack of nuance in select episodes and an absence of strong emotional impact. The review judged the roughly 30-minute episode length ideal for the compact themes and singled out Ifthi's background score and Sajan Kalathil's cinematography.[1](https://www.binged.com/reviews/soul-stories-series-review/) Ottplay rated it 3.0/5, writing that the series stays honest to its core idea and lauding it for making a strong case for women, while noting that the problems get easy solutions and that characters turn out to be too understanding.[8](https://www.ottplay.com/amp/review/soul-stories-review-anarkali-marikar-and-suhasini-maniratnams-series-stands-up-for-women/fd2623ac9b45) On IMDb the series holds a 7.5/10 rating from 59 users.[6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34221824/)
## Availability
The series streams on ManoramaMax and the ManoramaMAX Amazon Channel; [JustWatch](https://www.edgepedia.org/justwatch) reported no free streaming options as of its August 2026 check.[3](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/soul-stories)
## References
1. [Soul Stories Review – A Middling Attempt At Celebrating Womanhood, Binged (October 18, 2024)](https://www.binged.com/reviews/soul-stories-series-review/)
2. [Soul Stories OTT Release, FilmiBeat](https://www.filmibeat.com/malayalam/movies/soul-stories/ott.html)
3. [Soul Stories – watch tv show streaming online, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/in/tv-show/soul-stories)
4. [Soul Stories (TV Series 2024 – Now), Simkl](https://simkl.com/tv/2832411/soul-stories)
5. [Soul Stories (2024), MalluRelease](https://www.mallurelease.com/2024/10/soul-stories-series.html)
6. [Soul Stories (TV Series 2024– ), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34221824/)
7. [Soul Stories, 1000 Babies, Jai Mahendran – Malayalam Web Series Releases New on OTT Platforms, Kerala TV](https://www.keralatv.in/malayalam-web-series-releases-soul-stories/)
8. [Soul Stories review: Anarkali Marikar and Suhasini Maniratnam's series stands up for women, Ottplay (October 19, 2024)](https://www.ottplay.com/amp/review/soul-stories-review-anarkali-marikar-and-suhasini-maniratnams-series-stands-up-for-women/fd2623ac9b45)
9. [Interview: 'Young women today are bold enough to confront issues head-on,' says Asha Madathil, The South First (October 23, 2024)](https://thesouthfirst.com/entertainment/malayalam/interview-young-women-today-are-bold-enough-to-confront-issues-head-on-says-asha-madathil/)
10. ['Soul Stories' & '1000 Babies': Know where to watch these new Malayalam webseries, Onmanorama (October 18, 2024)](https://www.onmanorama.com/web-stories/entertainment/2024/10/18/malayalam-ott-releases-manorama-max-soul-stories-1000-babies-web-series.html)
11. [മേനക 2- ഇത് രണ്ട് കാലഘട്ടങ്ങളുടെ കഥ; മൂന്നാം ഭാഗം പ്രതീക്ഷിക്കാം](https://www.manoramanews.com/entertainment/latest/2022/06/11/Ashwin-kumar-interview-about-menaka-season-2-web-series-for-manorama-max.html)
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*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 › Malayalam and Kannada serials*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license