The Turkish drama series “Sandık Kokusu,” starring Özge Özpirinççi, Demet Akbağ, and Metin Akdülger, premiered on December 6, 2023, on Show TV.
“Sandık Kokusu” brings together strong characters to portray the struggle of a strong woman (Karsu) to survive, to be a family, and to liberate herself from the burdens of the past.
The series “Sandık Kokusu” airs every Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. Turkey time. On its broadcast day, other TV channels air series such as “Kuruluş Osman, Şahane Hayatım, and Taş Kağıt Makas.” Sandık Kokusu shares the top 10 ratings with these competitors. Overall, we can say that the ratings of the Sandık Kokusu series are generally good.
Cast of Sandık Kokusu:
Main Characters of Sandık Kokusu:
Karsu Çelik (Özge Özpirinççi)
Life has been wearing Karsu down since her teenage years. However, she never gives up her strong stance, never stops finding solutions and holding on to life no matter what happens. She loves being a mother the most in this life. Although her complicated relationship with her mother, her husband, and her children, and the obligations of motherhood sometimes bring her to the point of rebellion, she never gives up; Karsu is the hero of her own story.
Filiz Çelik (Demet Akbağ)
Filiz has always been a strong and dominant character. Her beauty has been legendary since her youth; aging is nothing short of a nightmare for her. She dresses young for her age, feeds on compliments. She is hasty, she knows what is right. Carefree, lively, and sarcastic nature is to camouflage the fragile woman inside her. Besides all this, she is not a bad mother, but she is difficult.
Bora Bozbeyli (Engin Öztürk)
He is the head of Bozbeyli Holding. A tough, assertive man, but there’s a reason for his stern demeanor. Bora, who once lived life to the fullest, is deeply affected by his brother’s death. As a result, he is forced to enter a life he never wanted, putting his dreams on hold. He takes over the family business as the CEO of the company left by his father. Before this, Bora had built a life for himself in London. He was an athlete, living a life he loved and enjoyed. But when circumstances change, he abandons everything he loves and transforms into a hard-nosed, closed-off man. He starts living a much more isolated life.
He has built walls around himself when it comes to strangers, and casual familiarity is a red line for him.
Kıvanç Yurt (Serkay Tütüncü)
He is a charismatic man who lives for the moment. He survives off rental income and lazes around. He can’t keep a job for more than three months and isn’t the type to work hard. A womanizer, he can juggle relationships with multiple women at once. He’s a smooth talker, capable of charming not just women but anyone. His likability gets him out of tough situations. He is so confident in his charm that he believes no one can resist him. Irmak is the first exception for him, but even then, he believes that eventually, she’ll fall for him too.
Atilla Başkaya (Metin Akdülger) – (Departed)
A writer who retreats into seclusion away from people for his new book. He moves to Cennet Sitesi as a tenant to Filiz. He is determined and tough. Despite appearing calm and to himself, he has a secret he keeps from everyone. Various coincidences lead Atilla to befriend Karsu. Atilla, who has not experienced his youth, is amazed by Karsu’s naturalness.
Reha Özkan (Necip Memili)
He is the son of a wealthy family from Adana. He married Karsu after a short flirtation and is the father of three children. He both loves and hates Karsu. He is a complex man. He secretly envies Karsu’s equipment, does not want her to be better than him, creates tension for no reason by making groundless jealousies. It is impossible to spend a day with him happily.
Gülnaz Başkaya (Gözde Seda Altuner)
She is Hasan’s sister, born and raised in Urfa. She lost her husband and has a daughter. She holds her brother Hasan above everything and is shocked that he married a woman like Filiz. She won’t let Filiz take control.
From the moment she met Filiz and her daughters, she disliked them and thought they weren’t good enough for her brother. To her, these women are part of the “widows’ club” and are a disgrace to the Başkaya family. Using her daughter’s university education as an excuse, Gülnaz moves into the house with her daughter Nazlı and makes life miserable for Filiz. She watches the urban Filiz with astonishment but can’t help getting in her way.
How will this woman from a small town adapt to life in bustling Istanbul?
Lale (Seda Türkmen)
She is Reha’s sister. She was born and raised in Adana, graduated from the American college, the best school there, and studied at the university in Istanbul. Her attachment to her brother has increased after her father’s death. Coming from an Anatolian family, she is also attached to her family. She values money, wealth, and appearance. She is well-groomed and a pleasant woman. She is ambitious, wants to rise in her job, and is hardworking.
Ayça (Nesrin Cavadzade)
Ayça is Karsu’s cousin and Türkan’s beloved eldest daughter. She is married to a very wealthy man and lives a life of luxury and indulgence, but she never forgets her mother. She sends her gifts, trying to keep her happy. However, life doesn’t go as planned. One day, Ayça shows up at Türkan’s doorstep with her suitcases in hand, just like her cousins.
Her husband’s business has hit rock bottom, and Ayça is no longer happy in her marriage, both financially and emotionally. Ayça, who loves living a luxurious life, returns to her mother’s home. As she tries to adjust to her new life, she refuses to give up her old habits. She continues to do yoga, dresses well, and struts around. Wealth is her red line. When she sees Karsu in a newspaper photo with a rich and handsome CEO, she sets her sights on him. Naturally, the man who is the object of everyone’s desire is now Ayça’s next target.
Supporting Actors:
Türkan (Nalan Okçuoğlu)
She currently portrays Filiz’s sister and Karsu’s aunt in the series “Sandık Kokusu”.
Tılsım (Mina Akdin)
In the series Sandık Kokusu, she portrays the character Tılsım, Karsu’s daughter.
Selin (Miray Yeral)
In the series Sandık Kokusu, she portrays Selin, Karsu’s youngest daughter.
Kuzey (Sarp Kaan Altınçapa)
In the series Sandık Kokusu, he portrays Kuzey, Karsu’s son.
Cevdet (Kayhan Açıkgöz)
Kayhan Açıkgöz portrays the character Cevdet, Atilla’s right-hand man, in the series “Sandık Kokusu.” Cevdet stands out as a funny and entertaining character, adding humor to the series.
Hande (Ece irtem)
Ece Irtem portrays the character Hande in the series “Sandık Kokusu.” Hande is actually Karsu’s closest friend, but she is having a forbidden love affair with Karsu’s husband, Reha. Karsu eventually learns that Reha has been cheating on her with her best friend, Hande. In response, Karsu returns to Istanbul to be with her mother, Filiz, and starts a new life. Not long after, Reha takes Hande with him to Istanbul and they become neighbors in the same neighborhood where Karsu lives.
İpek (Arya Bozabalı)
Arya Bozabalı portrays the character İpek in the series “Sandık Kokusu.” İpek is Türkan’s daughter and Karsu’s niece, and she is one of the supporting actors in the series.
New Actors Who Joined the Cast Later:
Irmak (Meriç Aral)
In the series Sandık Kokusu, she plays the role of Filiz’s eldest daughter and Karsu’s older sister. Years ago, she left home by marrying Filiz’s husband Adnan Bey and came back years later to apologize to her mother Filiz.
Adnan (Levent Can)
Levent Can joined the series “Sandık Kokusu” as the character Adnan, who is Irmak’s husband. Adnan was originally married to Filiz, Irmak’s mother. However, Adnan and Irmak started a secret love affair, leading Adnan to divorce Filiz and start a new life with Irmak. As the series progresses, Adnan will find himself in interesting situations as he interacts with many characters in the series.
Mert (Sercan Badur)
Sercan Badur joined the series “Sandık Kokusu” as a guest actor, portraying the character Mert, Atilla’s brother. Mert is actually believed to be dead by everyone. Hasan, who is Mert and Atilla’s father, had ordered Atilla to kill Mert due to a mistake Mert had made in the past. Atilla, however, asked his father Hasan to hide Mert in a safe place, telling him that he had killed his brother Mert. As the series progresses, everyone will learn that Mert is actually alive, including Hasan, who had ordered his death.
Hasan (Uğur Yücel)
The Turkish actor Uğur Yücel, who portrays the character Hasan in the series Sandık Kokusu, plays the role of Atilla’s father. Hasan is a major mafia leader who has just been released from prison. At the first opportunity, he arranges for his son Atilla to marry Lale. However, in the course of events, Hasan’s path will somehow intersect with Filiz, Karsu’s mother, and perhaps even Hasan himself will strive to leave behind his mafia life and build a new life.