Radhika Muthukumar from COLORS’ upcoming show ‘Binddii’: “Playing Kajal has shifted my understanding of motherhood in ways I didn’t expect”

Radhika Muthukumar from COLORS’ upcoming show ‘Binddii’: “Playing Kajal has shifted my understanding of motherhood in ways I didn’t expect” No prison wall is strong enough to cage a mother’s spirit. Carrying forward its legacy of fearless and raw sagas, COLORS brings a stirring tale of love, betrayal, and resilience in its new drama Binddii. Born behind bars, Binddii’s world begins and ends with her mother Kajal, whose warmth turns a prison cell into her haven. But when fate pulls her into the outside world, she is thrown into a ruthless battle where survival is the only choice. In the heart of Mathura, Binddii discovers the bitter truth, her father Aviraj’s lies and mafia don Dayanand Chaudhury’s thirst for power shattered her mother’s life. As danger looms and enemies circle once again, Binddii must summon the courage to defy them all and fight for her mother’s freedom. *Starring Radhika Muthukumar as Kajal, Saachi Bhoyar as Binddii, Krushal Ahuja as Aviraj, and Manav Gohil as Dayanand, Binddii premieres on 17th September and will air every Mon-Fri at 8:30 pm on COLORS and JioHotstar. 1. Tell us about the show. A. Binddii is the saga of a daughter’s fight for her imprisoned mother. Born and raised inside prison walls, Binddii’s only world is Kajal, whose love turns life behind iron bars into a haven of joy and hope. But their fragile happiness is shattered when the law forces Binddii out, leaving her unprotected and alone in a hostile world she has never known. When her uncle Saurav takes her to his home in Mathura, the past begins to resurface. She discovers that her father, Aviraj deceived Kajal, conspiring with the ruthless mafia don Dayanand Chaudhury for money and power. Determined to right these wrongs, Binddii sets out to educate herself and one day free her mother, but the challenge is that Aviraj and Dayanand are closing in on the mother-daughter. The story rides on her inspiring journey to fight this impossible battle that is skewed in favour of the powerful. 2. What drew you to Binddii and your role in particular? A. Kajal is one of the most resilient women I’ve had the chance to play, and you can immediately see where her daughter Binddii gets her grit from. She’s gentle and soft on the outside, but there’s an inner strength that surprises you. Whatever she takes up, she gives it her all, and if she doesn’t know something, she learns it until she masters it. For instance, in prison she became proficient at stitching dresses on a sewing machine, turning even that skill into a small source of dignity. Her responsible nature has earned her loyal friends, both inside the prison and outside, because people trust her heart. She’s obedient to jail rules, disciplined about exercise, and even careful with food; she eats less of the jail food because she wants to be healthy for her daughter. She guards Binddii’s innocence fiercely. She doesn’t want her to know about her father and Dayanand, who have wrecked her life. 3. Kajal’s love for her daughter turns even prison walls into a home. How did you prepare to bring such layered strength and warmth to life? A. When I first read Kajal, the first thing I noted is that she’s a mother who turns the bleakest of places into a sanctuary for her child. I wanted Kajal to connect with the audience at an emotional level. So I immersed myself in understanding what life inside prison looks like. I watched documentaries, read first-hand accounts, and even heard women speak of being framed for crimes they didn’t commit. What stayed with me most was how, despite injustice and confinement, these women shielded their children from pain, never letting them feel the weight of reality. Being a mother isn’t something you can learn from a manual - it’s instinctive. All mothers have certain things in common: the endless worries, the constant taunts born of concern and the quiet sacrifices. I drew from my own observations of mothers in everyday life and then shaped Kajal’s distinctiveness from the script. 4. This role is about a mother fighting against injustice. Did you draw inspiration from your own experiences or people you’ve known? A. Like most of us, I’ve grown up seeing women constantly silenced, underestimated, and yet pushing forward with remarkable strength. We all know a woman who has fought battles quietly, whether it’s a mother, an aunt, or a neighbour, raising her children in tough circumstances, but with her dignity intact. When I play Kajal, I think of those women, extraordinary in spirit, even if they don’t make the headlines. Growing up, most of us don’t fully realise what our parents fight for us. It’s only later in life that we look back and understand the roles they’ve taken up, the sacrifices they’ve made, and the storms they’ve weathered just so we could have a better life. Parents love us so fiercely that they create an idyllic world to protect us. They hide their own struggles, they shield us from scars that could hurt us, and sometimes they even take on the role of the ‘bad guy’ just to keep us safe. That kind of selfless, unconditional love is what makes parenthood inspiring, and it is exactly what I wanted to replicate in Kajal. 5. How has playing Kajal altered your own understanding of motherhood? A. Playing Kajal has shifted my understanding of motherhood in ways I didn’t expect. Before, I thought being a mother was about giving love, care, comfort and protection. But Kajal made me see the other side: it’s also about restraint. About what you withhold, the truths you swallow so your child doesn’t have to carry them. It’s about being the quiet wall that takes the blow, so your child doesn’t flinch. 6. How challenging was it to play a mother whose life revolves around her child, yet she herself is trapped behind bars? A. It was emotionally demanding because Kajal is living two parallel lives. On one hand, she’s a prisoner stripped of her freedom, on the other hand, she has to project joy, safety, and hope for her daughter. That contradiction is heartbreaking. It required me to switch between two headspaces – one that worries for her child’s life beyond prison and one that goes all out for her happiness. It gave me a perspective on the freedom we often take for granted. 7. What do you hope mothers across India take away from Kajal’s story? A. I hope mothers see themselves in Kajal’s fight. She is a woman pushed into extraordinary circumstances and still finding the strength to rise. I think it will resonate with mothers who feel unheard or undervalued. Kajal represents the massive force of a mother’s love. 8. In today’s India, where many women continue to face invisible shackles of societal judgment even outside prison walls, what message does Binddii hold for them?* A. The message is that shackles, whether inside prison or outside, are meant to be broken. Kajal and Binddii show that love, education, and resilience are tools of freedom. I believe many women will see a reflection of themselves in Kajal because many of us know what it feels like to be caged by rules, by family, or by society. This show tells them: you don’t have to accept that cage. You can push back, and fight for freedom to make a world of your own. Witness a daughter’s warrior spirit and a mother’s love that defies all chains in ‘Binddii’; premieres on 17th September and thereafter every day at 8.30 pm only on COLORS.