# Kolangal (TV series)
**Kolangal** (கோலங்கள்) was a Tamil-language family drama serial broadcast on Sun TV, centered on Abinaya (Abi), a middle-class woman who builds a construction business after divorce, and written, directed by, and featuring V. Thiruselvam. It ran from 2003 to 4 December 2009, accumulating more than 1,500 episodes over roughly six years.[1](https://tamilar.wiki/w/%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8B%E0%AE%B2%E0%AE%99%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%B3%E0%AF%8D_%28%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8A%E0%AE%B2%E0%AF%88%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%9F%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8D_%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8A%E0%AE%9F%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D%29)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original broadcast | Sun TV, Monday to Friday at 9 pm, ending 4 December 2009[1](https://tamilar.wiki/w/%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8B%E0%AE%B2%E0%AE%99%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%B3%E0%AF%8D_%28%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8A%E0%AE%B2%E0%AF%88%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%9F%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8D_%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8A%E0%AE%9F%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D%29) |
| Episode count | 1,533 episodes per the Tamil wiki and The Times of India; IMDb lists 1,534 and Filmibeat 1,553[1](https://tamilar.wiki/w/%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8B%E0%AE%B2%E0%AE%99%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%B3%E0%AF%8D_%28%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8A%E0%AE%B2%E0%AF%88%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%9F%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8D_%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8A%E0%AE%9F%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D%29) • [2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/tamil/tv-show-vani-rani-serial-breaks-the-record-set-by-kolangal-and-kasthuri/articleshow/63627886.cms) • [3](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11501568/) |
| Lead role | Devayani made her television debut as Abinaya, a young divorcee who becomes a successful businesswoman[4](https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/society-and-the-arts/media/story/20071008-far-from-the-flashy-crowd-734248-2007-09-28) |
| Direction | Written, directed, and acted in by V. Thiruselvam[1](https://tamilar.wiki/w/%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8B%E0%AE%B2%E0%AE%99%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%B3%E0%AF%8D_%28%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8A%E0%AE%B2%E0%AF%88%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%9F%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8D_%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8A%E0%AE%9F%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D%29) |
| Production | Vikatan Televistas; the serial also had a Kannada remake, Rangoli[1](https://tamilar.wiki/w/%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8B%E0%AE%B2%E0%AE%99%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%B3%E0%AF%8D_%28%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8A%E0%AE%B2%E0%AF%88%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%9F%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8D_%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8A%E0%AE%9F%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D%29) • [4](https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/society-and-the-arts/media/story/20071008-far-from-the-flashy-crowd-734248-2007-09-28) |
| Theme music | Title song sung by Harini with music by D. Imman[1](https://tamilar.wiki/w/%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8B%E0%AE%B2%E0%AE%99%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%B3%E0%AF%8D_%28%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8A%E0%AE%B2%E0%AF%88%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%9F%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8D_%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8A%E0%AE%9F%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D%29) |
| Afterlife | Retelecast on Kalaignar TV from 4 September 2023 at 9 pm; a Kolangal 2 was reported as planned for Sun TV[5](https://tamil.samayam.com/tv/evergreen-television-serial-kolangal-starring-actress-devayani-retelecast-in-kalaingar-tv-from-september-4/amp_articleshow/103285612.cms) • [6](https://tamil.filmibeat.com/television/director-thiruselvam-updates-about-kolangal-2-serial-105772.html) |
## Premise and characters
The serial follows **Abinaya (Abi)**, played by Devayani, through roughly six years of family crises and business dealings. India Today described the protagonist as a middle-class working woman whose story is built on her responsibilities and problems in life, and noted that audiences over three years followed her journey "from that of a young divorcee to a successful businesswoman, striving in a male dominated society."[4](https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/society-and-the-arts/media/story/20071008-far-from-the-flashy-crowd-734248-2007-09-28) [B. Srinivasan](https://www.edgepedia.org/b-srinivasan), managing director of Vikatan Televistas, said viewers "identify with her trials and tribulations, cry with her and rejoice for her."[4](https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/society-and-the-arts/media/story/20071008-far-from-the-flashy-crowd-734248-2007-09-28)
The cast lists on IMDb and the Tamil wiki include Deepa Venkat, Manjari, Abhishek Shankar, Ajay Kapoor, Nalini, Chandra Lakshman, Thiruselvam, Viji Chandrasekhar, Sathyapriya, and Kuyili in principal roles.[1](https://tamilar.wiki/w/%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8B%E0%AE%B2%E0%AE%99%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%B3%E0%AF%8D_%28%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8A%E0%AE%B2%E0%AF%88%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%9F%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8D_%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8A%E0%AE%9F%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D%29) • [7](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11501568/fullcredits) The Samayam Tamil retrospective identifies Adhi (played by Ajay Kapoor) as the principal antagonist: he shares a father with Abi but has a different mother, and his overriding aim is to destroy Abi's family; unusually for serials of the period, the main villain was a man rather than a scheming woman.[5](https://tamil.samayam.com/tv/evergreen-television-serial-kolangal-starring-actress-devayani-retelecast-in-kalaingar-tv-from-september-4/amp_articleshow/103285612.cms) Abi's friend Thols is described as the first to stand by her in any trouble, and ultimately the person credited with changing her life.[5](https://tamil.samayam.com/tv/evergreen-television-serial-kolangal-starring-actress-devayani-retelecast-in-kalaingar-tv-from-september-4/amp_articleshow/103285612.cms)
The title itself carries meaning: the director explained that a woman's life is like a kolam, the patterned floor drawing, which can be as pleasant as a flower kolam or as tangled as a wire kolam, hence the name Kolangal.[5](https://tamil.samayam.com/tv/evergreen-television-serial-kolangal-starring-actress-devayani-retelecast-in-kalaingar-tv-from-september-4/amp_articleshow/103285612.cms) Fittingly, the title card was changed daily to feature a different kolam each episode, a detail Samayam recalls drawing a following of viewers who tuned in to see the day's design.[5](https://tamil.samayam.com/tv/evergreen-television-serial-kolangal-starring-actress-devayani-retelecast-in-kalaingar-tv-from-september-4/amp_articleshow/103285612.cms)
## Production and casting
Devayani nearly left the project early on over disagreements about the terms and conditions with the production side. According to a Monsoon Journal profile, Devayani knew from reading the script that she was going to play Abhi, "the tough middle-class girl who fights her way through odds and comes up trumps in life."[8](https://monsoonjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/09_Archive_1-Sep-2008.pdf)
## Broadcast and record
The serial aired weeknights in the 9 pm prime-time slot on Sun TV and ran until 4 December 2009.[1](https://tamilar.wiki/w/%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8B%E0%AE%B2%E0%AE%99%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%B3%E0%AF%8D_%28%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8A%E0%AE%B2%E0%AF%88%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%9F%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8D_%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8A%E0%AE%9F%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D%29) The Tamil wiki records the start as 24 November 2003, while The Times of India gives 29 May 2003; both sources agree on the 4 December 2009 end date and the total of 1,533 episodes.[1](https://tamilar.wiki/w/%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8B%E0%AE%B2%E0%AE%99%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%B3%E0%AF%8D_%28%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8A%E0%AE%B2%E0%AF%88%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%9F%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8D_%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8A%E0%AE%9F%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D%29) • [2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/tamil/tv-show-vani-rani-serial-breaks-the-record-set-by-kolangal-and-kasthuri/articleshow/63627886.cms) Other counts differ modestly: IMDb lists 1,534 episodes[3](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11501568/) and a 2023 Filmibeat article gives 1,553.[6](https://tamil.filmibeat.com/television/director-thiruselvam-updates-about-kolangal-2-serial-105772.html)
Its run made it a benchmark for length in Tamil television. In 2018, The Times of India reported that the serial [Vani Rani](https://www.edgepedia.org/vani-rani-tv-series) had surpassed the episode records set by Kolangal and Kasthuri, and that [Saravanan Meenatchi](https://www.edgepedia.org/saravanan-meenatchi) held the industry's longest-run record with 1,665 episodes.[2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/tamil/tv-show-vani-rani-serial-breaks-the-record-set-by-kolangal-and-kasthuri/articleshow/63627886.cms) Vikatan's own history podcast recalls Kolangal as the company's number one daily soap on Sun TV.[9](https://www.thecore.in/podcasts/inside-vikatans-100-year-journey-845630)
Awards followed the serial's popularity. According to the Tamil wiki, Devayani won Best Actress awards for 2003 and 2004, Deepa Venkat won a Best Friend award in 2005, and Ajay Kapoor won Best TV Serial Villain in 2010.[1](https://tamilar.wiki/w/%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8B%E0%AE%B2%E0%AE%99%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%B3%E0%AF%8D_%28%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8A%E0%AE%B2%E0%AF%88%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%9F%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8D_%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8A%E0%AE%9F%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D%29)
## Reception
Viewer opinion during the run was divided. Contemporary forum threads complained about the pace, with one IndiaForums thread from the mid-2000s calling it "one of the boring serials on air" while also acknowledging it drew the highest TRP ratings among Tamil serials, attributing that to the convenient 9 pm slot and Devayani's star value.[10](https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/kolongal/609155/one-of-the-boring-serial-on-air) MouthShut reviewers criticized the director for dragging out the story.[11](https://www.mouthshut.com/review/kolangal-review-ouspnstspm)
In later retrospectives the serial's standing rose. Samayam Tamil's 2023 retrospective singles out the title song, composed by [D. Imman](https://www.edgepedia.org/d-imman) and sung by Harini, as speaking about feminism twenty years earlier and serving as a motivational song for women of the period.[5](https://tamil.samayam.com/tv/evergreen-television-serial-kolangal-starring-actress-devayani-retelecast-in-kalaingar-tv-from-september-4/amp_articleshow/103285612.cms) The same retrospective recalls that at 9 pm women of the era were hard to pull away from the television, and that some families watched the serial together.[5](https://tamil.samayam.com/tv/evergreen-television-serial-kolangal-starring-actress-devayani-retelecast-in-kalaingar-tv-from-september-4/amp_articleshow/103285612.cms)
## Revivals and sequel
Interest in the serial has outlasted its run. A Vikatan Television YouTube channel retelecast of the episodes began on 26 November 2018, running Monday through Saturday.[1](https://tamilar.wiki/w/%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8B%E0%AE%B2%E0%AE%99%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%B3%E0%AF%8D_%28%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8A%E0%AE%B2%E0%AF%88%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%9F%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8D_%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8A%E0%AE%9F%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D%29) In September 2023, Samayam Tamil reported that Kolangal would be retelecast on Kalaignar TV, not Sun TV, from 4 September at 9 pm.[5](https://tamil.samayam.com/tv/evergreen-television-serial-kolangal-starring-actress-devayani-retelecast-in-kalaingar-tv-from-september-4/amp_articleshow/103285612.cms) The Sun TV YouTube channel also published a 2024 "Unscripted" reunion of the Kolangal team marking twenty years since the serial began.[12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Feh9WiE_KAg)
A sequel has been discussed by the original director. In a March 2023 interview reported by Filmibeat, Thiruselvam, then directing the Sun TV serial Ethir Neechal (எதிர்நீச்சல்), said the story for Kolangal 2 was already prepared and that an announcement would come when the time was right; he stated firmly that the sequel would air on Sun TV.[6](https://tamil.filmibeat.com/television/director-thiruselvam-updates-about-kolangal-2-serial-105772.html) The same article credits the original with 1,553 episodes and recalls that [Soundarya](https://www.edgepedia.org/soundarya), not Devayani, was first intended for the lead role.[6](https://tamil.filmibeat.com/television/director-thiruselvam-updates-about-kolangal-2-serial-105772.html)
## References
1. [கோலங்கள் (தொலைக்காட்சித் தொடர்), Tamilar Wiki](https://tamilar.wiki/w/%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8B%E0%AE%B2%E0%AE%99%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%B3%E0%AF%8D_%28%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8A%E0%AE%B2%E0%AF%88%E0%AE%95%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%BE%E0%AE%9F%E0%AF%8D%E0%AE%9A%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8D_%E0%AE%A4%E0%AF%8A%E0%AE%9F%E0%AE%B0%E0%AF%8D%29)
2. [TV show Vani Rani serial breaks the record set by Kolangal and Kasthuri, The Times of India (5 April 2018)](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/tamil/tv-show-vani-rani-serial-breaks-the-record-set-by-kolangal-and-kasthuri/articleshow/63627886.cms)
3. [Kolangal (TV Series 2003–2009), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11501568/)
4. [Far from the flashy crowd, India Today (8 October 2007)](https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/society-and-the-arts/media/story/20071008-far-from-the-flashy-crowd-734248-2007-09-28)
5. [அடடே இந்த எவெர்க்ரீன் சீரியல் மறுபடியும் டிவியில வருதா? Samayam Tamil (1 September 2023)](https://tamil.samayam.com/tv/evergreen-television-serial-kolangal-starring-actress-devayani-retelecast-in-kalaingar-tv-from-september-4/amp_articleshow/103285612.cms)
6. [Director Thiruselvam updates about Kolangal 2 serial, Filmibeat Tamil (6 March 2023)](https://tamil.filmibeat.com/television/director-thiruselvam-updates-about-kolangal-2-serial-105772.html)
7. [Kolangal (TV Series 2003–2009) Full cast & crew, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11501568/fullcredits)
8. [Devayani of Kolangal Fame, Monsoon Journal (September 2008)](https://monsoonjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/09_Archive_1-Sep-2008.pdf)
9. [Inside Vikatan's 100-Year Journey, The Core](https://www.thecore.in/podcasts/inside-vikatans-100-year-journey-845630)
10. [One of the boring serial on air, IndiaForums](https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/kolongal/609155/one-of-the-boring-serial-on-air)
11. [One of the most unimaginary Serial 'Kolangal', MouthShut review (2008)](https://www.mouthshut.com/review/kolangal-review-ouspnstspm)
12. [Unscripted with Kolangal Team, Sun TV YouTube (22 October 2024)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Feh9WiE_KAg)
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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 › Tamil serials*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license