“Cooku With Comali” is one of the most unique reality shows from Tamil television, combining cooking challenges with comedy (via “Comalis”) to deliver entertainment, emotion, and surprises. Since its debut in 2019, the show has captured audiences with its quirky format, emotional journeys, amusing pairings, and unpredictable twists. In this article, we explore the show’s theme and format, winners, runner-ups, judges and hosts across seasons.
Show Format
Cooku With Comali is not a pure cooking show. It fuses cooking with the antics of “Comalis” (literally “clowns” or “funny partners”) who assist or complicate tasks. The basic format is:
- Celebrity Chefs / “Cooks” + Comali Pairing: In each episode or week, celebrity contestants (sometimes known as “cooks”) are paired with a Comali (a comedic partner).
- Advantage Task / Mini Task: There is often an “Advantage Task” (or mini challenge) which gives some benefit to winners (e.g. extra time, immunity, advantage in main task).
- Main Task & Cooking Challenge: The cook + Comali team performs a cooking task (preparation, plating, constraints, handicaps). The challenge is to cook within constraints (e.g., limited time, one hand tied, ingredients restrictions, interference from Comali) or under “twist” rules.
- Immunity / Elimination Task: The bottom performers from Main Task may face an elimination or “immunity challenge” to save themselves.
- Judging & Scoring: Judges (professional chefs) taste and score, and decide who advances or is eliminated.
- Wildcard Entries / Re-entries: Some seasons allow wildcard contestants, re-entries, comali changes, twist weeks.
- Finale & Winner: In the final week, top contestants compete and judges declare a winner and runner-up(s).
Cooku with Comalis Winner, Runner-Up, Judges, Host
Below is a consolidated table based on Wikipedia and other sources:
| Season | Winner | Runner-Up | Judges / Chefs | Host(s) |
| Season 1 | Vanitha Vijaykumar | Uma Riyaz Khan | Chef Damodharan, Chef Venkatesh Bhat | Rakshan & Aranthangi Nisha |
| Season 2 | Kani Thiru | Shakeela | Chef Damodharan, Chef Venkatesh Bhat | Rakshan |
| Season 3 | Shrutika Arjun | Darshan | Chef Damodharan, Chef Venkatesh Bhat | Rakshan |
| Season 4 | Mime Gopi | Srushti Dange | Chef Damodharan, Chef Venkatesh Bhat | Rakshan & Manimegalai |
| Season 5 | Priyanka Deshpande | Sujitha Dhanush | Chef Damu, Madhampatty Rangaraj | Rakshan (and Manimegalai till Week 21) |
| Season 6 | Raju Jeyamohan | Shabana Shajahan Aryan | Chef Damu, Madhampatty Rangaraj, Koushik Shankar | Rakshan |
Cooku with Comali Season 1
Cooku With Comali Season 1 launched in November 2019 (16 November 2019) on Star Vijay. The show paired celebrity cooks with Comalis, tested cooking under handicaps, comedic interference, and weekly eliminations. Hosts were Rakshan and Aranthangi Nisha. Chef Damodharan (Damu) and Chef Venkatesh Bhat judged. In the Finale, Vanitha Vijaykumar won, defeating Uma Riyaz Khan as runner-up. The success of Season 1 established the show’s format and fan appeal.
Cooku with Comali Season 2
Season 2 premiered on 14 November 2020. The show again featured celebrity cooks and Comali pairings, various tasks, elimination rounds, and weekly tension. Judges remained Chef Damodharan and Chef Venkatesh Bhat. Rakshan hosted the full season. The grand finale on 14 April 2021 celebrated Kani Thiru as winner, with Shakeela as runner-up. This season expanded the contestant pool from 8 to 9, and production values improved.
Cooku with Comali Season 3
The third season began on 22 January 2022 and ran until 24 July 2022. Rakshan continued as host. Judges remained Chef Damodharan and Chef Venkatesh Bhat. In the grand finale, Shrutika Arjun won the title, with Darshan as first runner-up. This season had 12 contestants, more comical tasks, and showcased both cooking skill and entertainment quotient.
Cooku with Comali Season 4
Season 4 premiered on 28 January 2023 and concluded on 30 July 2023. The show introduced a co-host — Manimegalai joined alongside Rakshan. Judges were Chef Damodharan and Chef Venkatesh Bhat once again. At the finale, Mime Gopi became the first male winner, defeating Srushti Dange (runner-up). This season was noted for stronger comali interactions, varied kitchen challenges, and improved visual presentation.
Cooku with Comali Season 5
Season 5 aired from April 2024 to September 2024 (first air 27 April 2024, last on 29 September 2024) on Star Vijay. Judges this time were Chef Damu and Madhampatty Rangaraj. Rakshan remained host; Manimegalai co-hosted until Week 21. In the finale, Priyanka Deshpande won the trophy; Sujitha Dhanush was runner-up. This season introduced stronger contestant variety, more dramatic twists, and built up fan loyalty (especially for female contestants).
Cooku with Comali Season 6
Season 6 began on 4 May 2025 and concluded on 28 September 2025. Rakshan returned as host. Judges included Chef Damu and Madhampatty Rangaraj, with a new addition: Koushik Shankar. In the finale, Raju Jeyamohan emerged winner; Shabana Shajahan Aryan was runner-up. This season also featured 10 contestants, wildcard entries, and more intense comali challenges.