Cooku with Comali has carved out a genuinely distinctive niche in Tamil reality television since its 2019 debut — a cooking competition where each contestant is paired weekly with a “comali” (comedian) as an amateur cooking partner, blending culinary skill with comedic chaos. Here’s the complete winners list for the show’s first four seasons.
Quick Reference: All Winners
| Season | Year | Winner | Runner-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2019–20 | Vanitha Vijayakumar | Uma Riyaz Khan |
| 2 | 2020–21 | Kani Thiru | Shakeela |
| 3 | 2022 | Shrutika Arjun | Darshan |
| 4 | 2023 | Mime Gopi | Srushti Dange |
About the Show
Cooku with Comali, directed by Parthiv Mani for its first four seasons, premiered on Star Vijay and Disney+ Hotstar on November 16, 2019. The show’s format pairs each celebrity contestant with a “comali” — a comedian acting as their amateur cooking partner — for weekly culinary challenges judged by Chef Damu and Chef Venkatesh Bhat throughout these seasons. Rakshan hosted every season during this stretch, with Aranthangi Nisha co-hosting the debut season.
Season 1 (2019–20): Vanitha Vijayakumar
The debut season ran November 16, 2019, to February 23, 2020, spanning 27 episodes with 8 contestants. Actress and television personality Vanitha Vijayakumar won the season, taking home ₹5 lakh in prize money, with Uma Riyaz Khan finishing as runner-up. The season built solid momentum on TVR ratings, closing with a 10.22 TVR finale after opening at 7.75 TVR.
Season 2 (2020–21): Kani Thiru
Season 2 ran November 14, 2020, to April 14, 2021, over 41 episodes with 9 contestants. Kani Thiru won the title, with Shakeela finishing as first runner-up, Ashwin Kumar Lakshmikanthan as second runner-up, choreographer Baba Bhaskar as third runner-up, and Pavithra Lakshmi as fourth runner-up. The season saw a significant ratings jump, with the finale pulling a 21.39 TVR — more than double the show’s Season 1 closer.
Season 3 (2022): Shrutika Arjun
Season 3 ran January 22 to July 24, 2022, over 54 episodes with 12 contestants. Shrutika Arjun won the season, with Darshan as first runner-up. The finale’s remaining placements went to Ammu Abhirami (second runner-up), Vidyullekha Raman (third runner-up), Santhosh Prathap (fourth runner-up), and Grace Karunas (fifth runner-up) — one of the more extended finale rankings in the show’s run.
Season 4 (2023): Mime Gopi
Season 4 ran January 28 to July 30, 2023, over 53 episodes with 12 contestants. Comedian and mime artist Mime Gopi won the title, with actress Srushti Dange finishing as first runner-up, Vichithra as second runner-up, and Sivaangi Krishnakumar as third runner-up. Notably, the season also crowned a separate “Winner Comali” category, awarded to comedian Mohamed Kuraishi for his performance as a cooking partner throughout the season.
Final Thoughts
Across its first four seasons, Cooku with Comali built a loyal following by leaning fully into its comedy-first premise — the “comali” partnership format gave the show a distinct identity separate from more straightforward cooking competitions, and its steadily rising TVR ratings through Season 2 in particular reflected how well that format resonated with Tamil audiences. With the show having since continued through a sixth season and a seventh currently airing, the format’s durability speaks for itself nearly six years after its 2019 debut.