Thangam (TV series)

Thangam (Tamil: தங்கம்) is an Tamil soap opera on Sun TV. It is a Prime time serial. The show premiered on 30 June 2009. It airs Monday through Friday at 8:30pm. Its cast include Ramya Krishnan, Vijayakumar, Seema, Anuradha and Manju Bhargavi of Sankarabharanam fame, among others. The show is produced by Srinivasa Visuals director by B. Nakkeeran. It had been receiving the highest ratings of Tamil serials and It was credited as the Best Serial and received high praising from viewers. The story revolves around a woman and the challenges she faces among family members and society. The show last aired on 25 January 2013 and ended with 903 episodes.

Plot

Raja Ramachandra Raghunath (Vijayakumar), popularly referred to as Ayya, is the head of Ayyakudi village. His family is famous for its line of kind philanthropists. He has two wives, Naachiyar (Seema) and Subbulakshmi (Manju Bhargavi). He has two sons with Naachiyar, Karthikeyan or Karthik (Pollachi Babu) and Saravanan (Kurunchinathan)and has three daughters with Subbulakshmi, Ganga Devi or Ganga (Ramya Krishnan), Ramaa Devi or Ramaa (Former: Sandra Jose, Present: Shridevi), and Charulatha or Charu (Varnika).

Ayyaa has a younger sister named Mutharasi (Anuradha), who is married to Kulasekharan (G.K.), the main antagonist in this serial. Kulasekharan is also Naachiyar's elder brother. They have two children named Jayachandran and Ilavanji (Kaveri).

Karthik is married to Ilavanji. Ganga is married to Selvakannan (Former: Krishna Kumar, Present: Sai Kiran), a well known and respected IAS district collector. Along with him, Ganga works as the sub-collector because she is also an IAS graduate. Saravanan is married to Shanmukavadivu a.k.a. Vadivu and Ramaa is married to Jayachandran.

Ganga is the golden child in Ayyaa's family. She is named after the family goddess. Her sisters and mother are also equally loved and respected dearly by Ayyaa, Naachiyar, Mutharasi and Selvakannan's family.

However, there are also some who do not like Subbulakshmi and her daughters. The main person who dislikes Subbulakshmi and her daughters is Kulasekharan. He hates her because he does not like the fact that she is sharing spouse space with Naachiyar. Kulasekharan is supported by his daughter, Ilavanji and her husband, Ayyaa's son Karthik. He only wants his sister, Naachiyar to be called Ayyaa's wife and no one else. Therefore, he tries all attempts to get rid of Subbulakshmi, Ganga, Ramaa and Charu and banish them from the village. He tries to kill Selvakannan, tries to separate Ramaa and Jayachandran and also cheats Subbulakshmi into letting him out of jail. Sometimes the attempts he make succeed slightly, and some fail miserably and even backfire on him. Naachiyar does not give in to Kulasekharan's intentions because she loves Subbulakshmi like her own sister.

Selvakannan has an aunt who lives with him and his parents. Her name is Rasammah, and she has a niece named Manimegalai, whom she wanted Selvakannan to marry. Manimegalai also loves Selvakannan very much, but seeing his insistence on marrying Ganga and also knowing Ganga to be a very good person, she sacrifices her love for their happiness. However, Rasammah does not like it that Ganga has married Selvakannan, and she tries her best to poison Selvakannan's mother, Karpagam's mind into compelling Selvakannan to break bonds with Ganga, but eventually she takes a liking to Ganga and she forgets all about separating them. Karpagam also initially gave in to Rasammah's talk, but she too begins to love and respect Ganga and her family.

Ilavanji is portrayed to be a sensitive woman who does not like Subbulakshmi's family and is always in support of her father, whom she loves very much. She soon gets along slowly with Subbulakshmi's family, but she does not totally forget her hatred towards them. She is usually snobbish and thinks highly of herself. She is very jealous of Ramaa because she is married to her brother and also because everyone in the family ( except her husband and father ) love Subbulakshmi's family a lot. She and Vadivu are both Ayyaa's daughters-in-law. She and Vadivu never easily get along and they always fight. Ilavanji has the support of Mangai in this matter. Mangai is Ganga's friend Vishwanathan's mother as well as Ilavanji's best friend. Vadivu is a very smart but good girl and she also loves Subbulakshmi's family. She always finds out Ilavanji's mischiefs and makes their mother in law punish Ilavanji and Mangai. Sometimes Ilavanji, Mangai and Rasammah usually meet up and end up in some mischief ( These scenes provide some comedy to the otherwise serious serial ) .

Ganga becomes pregnant, but her child has to be aborted because she was hit while trying to protect her husband from a raging bull, which was released by Kulasekharan during Vadivu's wedding with Saravanan. The bull hits her, resulting in her abortion. After sometime, Ramaa became pregnant.

Selvakannan had a P.A. named Vandhana, a very mysterious and evil girl, who knew that Selvakannan had a brain tumour for a very long time and did not inform his family members about this until the condition worsened and Selvakannan was on his deathbed. All the doctors gave up on him and told the family that he will die in nine days, and no one can prevent that. But Ganga was very strong-willed and believed that her husband can be cured through God's grace. She observed nine different types of penances in these nine days in the name of Goddess Amman. Her family members also did their part by going to Palani and carrying milk pots. Miraculously her paralysed husband was able to move and he was immediately operated and cured. All in the family hated Vandana for who she is and for the fact that she hid the matter of his sickness from them. They also hated her because of her false allegations against Selvakannan which stated that he had married Vandana before he had married Ganga.

To clear Selvakannan from Vandana's allegations, the family decided to meet up with the villagers at the Ellaiyamman temple at the outskirts of the village. The Goddess residing in this temple is very powerful because the people believe that when grounded chili paste is rubbed on Her when they are in trouble, the goddess will the punish the person who is at fault by setting the sinned person on fire. So, knowing the power of the Goddess, the family makes Selvakannan and Vandana rub chili paste on Goddess Ellaiyamman so that she will find out who is guilty . To their shock, neither Selvakannan nor Vandana felt their bodies burning. Realising that there is some mischief behind this matter, the priest invokes the Goddess and he tells everyone through the Goddess' words that this matter will be resolved in 60 days. After that, Vandhana gets even more evil and mysterious. Everyone in Ganga's family is very annoyed that Vandhana is living in Ganga's house till very late in the night . She is somehow chased out brutally by Mutharasi, Ilavanji, Charu and Mangai.

One day, Subbulakshmi's pet cow, Lakshmi gave birth to a beautiful baby calf. Lakshmi's mother was given to Subbulakshmi by Naachiyar as a wedding gift. This was a very happy occasion in the family. At the same day, Ganga was tested pregnant! The whole family rejoiced and the women in the family crowded in Ellaiyamman temple to make Pongal for the Goddess. But suddenly, winds were blowing and the brick stoves did not catch fire as they were supposed to . Then, the women begin to do the Kummi Adi, a folk dance done by Tamil village women in a circle, to appease the Goddess. During the dance, the idol of the Goddess falls flat on the floor. Horrified, the people at the temple tried to carry the idol and put it back in place. But they felt that the idol was very light and hollow. Selvakannan and Ganga was there too, and they realized that the idol was changed into a fake one and the real idol is somewhere else. They now understood that this was why the Goddess did not punish Vandhana when she rubbed chili paste on the Goddess. Initially they all suspected Vandhana. After some arbitration and temple ceremonies, the real idol of the Goddess was found dumped in an unused temple tank. And after some investigation by the police, through Ilavanji, it was found out that Kulasekharan was guilty in changing the idol.

During Ayyaa and his two wives's 60th marriage anniversary ceremony, it was known that Ayya married Subbulakshmi for a reason. The reason is revealed to be a very dark secret regarding Ayya's marriage with Subbulakshmi, and only Ayya, Naachiyar and Subbulakshmi know the secret. No one else knows about it, not even Mutharasi. Kulasekharan was also aware of this matter and he very recently tried to find out that secret by filing a case against Subbulakshmi, citing that she is not Ayyaa's legal wife, hoping to find out the secret. This case has been resolved after Ayyaa explained in private to the judge about why he married Subbulakshmi. Ayyaa won the case. Angered and humiliated, Kulasekharan pondered over the secret of Ayyaa and Subbulakshmi. When Karthik came to see him, Kulasekharan narrated a flashback from his childhood.

Kulasekharan's father, Thavasi married for the second time because he lost his first wife. This too was under the village head, the Ayyaa[Ramachandra Raghunath's father] of that time's decision, considering that young Kulasekharan and little Naachiyar are motherless. Though Naachiyar loves her stepmother dearly, Kulasekharan was the total opposite. He despised her totally. But the stepmother, Bhagyalakshmi was a very king and loving woman and never harboured any hatred towards Kulasekharan. But Kulasekharan felt that with this stepmother and her newborn baby, Naachiyar and Thavasi are not the same like before. Naachiyar loved the new mother and also loved her step-sister a lot. Feeling out-cast, Kulasekharan never let Bhagyalakshmi's baby lie in the cradle that Naachiyar slept on and never let Bhagyalakshmi touch him. He even tried to kill her and her baby with a gas spray.Seeing that the case is going out of hand, Ayyaa called for an arbitration and stated that Kulasehkaran should stay with Ayyaa until Bhagyalakshmi's child is grown up. But Bhagyalakshmi refused this judgement and said that the family need not be separated because of her, and that she will go far away from them as this hatred will not end. True to her words, she left and was never seen again. Kulasekharan thinks that Bhagyalakshmi's daughter can be Subbulakshmi, due to the fact that Naachiyar and Subbulakshmi are so close like sisters, something that is very unusual, because if two women were to share the same husband, there would be a lot of jealousy and enmity among the wives. But this was a completely different situation. Kulasekharan even questioned Naachiyar about this. For Charu's marriage they find a young boy named Aravindan (his father a good Friend of Ayyaa's ). Later, Kulasekharan asks Subbulakshmi about who she is. Subu faints and Kulasekharam takes her to the hospital. After Subu wakes up, Ayya tells him the dark secret behind his marriage. After learning that Subu is his sister, Bhagyalakshmi's daughter, he pretends to like her and her kids but he really doesn't.

One day he gives Subu food but puts a poison in the food. Subu thinks that he is good now and eats the food. The doctor who checks Subu realizes she is poisoned but only tells Selvakannan. He goes to get the cure (a rare herb in one forest) He has some difficulties but he gets it and Subu is saved.

Now Ayyaa's brother's children return (Santhanapandi, Seenipandi and Virumandi) to the village They were banished 30 years ago from the village for doing a bad crime. They try to do things against Ayyaa − like surrounding the public well with a wall so the people could not get water to drink. They get plans to destroy Ayya's family in order to get Ayya's place.

Now that Subhu gets cured after receiving the medicine from son-in law(Ganga's huband Selvakannan). Then Subhu's youngest daughter Sharu gets the proposal and was nearly to fixed but there was a bad scenes coming up between the groom's side and bride side. Groom's side was accepting the proposals but they were not satisfy because of Ayya's brother-in law Kulaskharan threats them not to have marriage to take place. This cause the family to be very depressed and upset. Sharu refused to talk to Aravindan due to the problems they are facing between the parties. Therefore, the Aravindan was in love with her and plans to get her at any cost. He joined with Kulaskharan to get help . But Kulasharan had given him a bad idea . The idea is to rape Sharu . One night, no one was at home except Sharu. So this guy went over her and raped her and she faints. Subhu accidentally saw it and grabbed the knife and pierced the guy and he narrowly escaped and Subhu also escaped for unknown reason. The next day, public in the village found the dead body was lying on the middle of the path and informs the police and Ayya. Groom's side party thinks that Ayya's party only killed their son. As days go on they keep searching for Subhu but he is nowhere to be found and they planned to publish to the newspaper.

In the mean time, Ganga was pregnant with twins and she comes to know about her mother went missing. As she kept searching and analyzing what really happened with her mother.She ends to know where is her mother and got injured by a gang. The real person who is threatening Ganga is Vandhana to destroy Ganga. She was taken to the hospital by Selvakannan as he was searching for her and found her on the ground with injured. She was a risk stage as her unborn babies was escaped. The doctors request Selvakannan for the operation to save Ganga and His children and they survived too. Vandana hires a nurse to kills the twins babies without any one noticed it.The doctor tells the bad news to Selvakannan only. He was really upset and don't know what to do and really wants to save his wife from depression. He accidentally met his old good classmate Kokila and he tells her what happened to his life and born babies's death. So she feels sorry for him and she gives her youngest child who born recently before Ganga's babies born. They make a promise that the secret shouldn't leak out as Kokila became very poor in financial due to her husband's drinking habits.So Selvakannan decides to pay some money for the children's education as a help . Selvakannan takes the baby to the hospital and replaced the place where the twins were. Ganga gets from her unconscious and was happy to see the baby and sad that her other baby died. She didn't know the baby is not hers and thinks that it is her baby as Selvakannan wants her to think like that in order to save her. Vandana was have suspicious on this and was try to find out. Ganga comes home with the baby and Sharu gets pregnant with Aravindan's baby. None of her family members tell Ganga about Sharu and what happened to her.

One of ministers in a next village of Ayya's village finds Subhu's picture published in the newspaper and calls to the number given . He speaks to the person that he found Subu in his village. Bad Luck! It was Kulaskeran who answered the call and he lies to Ayya that some one called and he runs to the village to meet the minister. He brainwashed the Minister that his people wants to kills his sister Subhu and hides from Ayya and the family. Ganga meets the minister and requested him to let her if he comes to know Subhu's whereabouts. On Kulaskeran's request the minister didn't tell the truth to Ganga.

Subhu was held in police station for murder Aravindan in her village and she didn't tell them who she is and where she is from. The police took her to the jail and left her there.Kulaakeran knows her whereabouts and hires a jailer to kill Subhu in a some way. The plan succeed but Ayya comes to know where she is from a police and runs to the jail. Subhu faints due the bleeding from her hand which jailer has striped with a sharp blade. Subhu was taken to the hospital and Ayya follows them too. Ayya informs to the family and they comes to the hospital.Karthik hates Subhu as he was requested from Kulaskeran to kill Subhu. Naachiyar was cautious knowing that her son will kill her in some way and always beside Subhu. Subhu has not get up from her conscious. Then Karthik kills Subhu by removing oxygen cap but she was rescued by Naachiyar. Naachiyar slaps her son and revealed their dark secret.

The dark secret is now revealed that Naachiyar is not the biological mother to Karthik and Saravanan. She is adopted mother and in order to save the boys from Kulaskeran she told that it is her sons. The real mother is Subhu for the both boys.Saravanan was pleased and happy that he got two good mothers. Karthik didn't believe the secret and keeps on thinking that they are lying. So Naachiyar took him to the delivering lady doctor and gets to know the truth that Naachiyar couldn't give birth to children and Subhu only gave her sons to her as their sons.Karthik was very upset and went over to Kulaskeran. Kulaskeran refuse to accept that Karthik he is son in law for him and separates the couple.Kulaskeran takes his daughter to his house and leaves her there.Ilavanji and Karthik really missed each other and they become sad that they couldn't live together anymore.

Karthik in an anger mood kidnaps Ramma and Jayachandran went missing on baby shower day.Kulaskeran had done something to Jayachandran and it was unknown reason yet. Ramma was in pain to deliver her baby, Karthik felt bad and calls his wife to bring a delivering lady to the place. As they comes and Ramma gave birth to a baby boy. KArthik felt happy and guilty for kidnapping Ramma. Ramma forgives him and he accepts Ramma as his sister. Ilavanji went to Ayya's place and told the news . They were angry with Karthik's behavior and they didn't look at his face after all. Ilavanji begs Ayya to forgive him and Karthik thinks he can join with the family if he does good for the family. But he couldn't bear up about his real mother and don't know what to do.

One of Vandana's mental brother escaped from a gang and fell into the well while Karthik was thinking a lot about his mother and his wife. He saw that and he chased them. Karthik rescue the mental brother and he gets to know from him that Subhu did not kill Aravindan. Some one else have killed him and escaped. Then the mental brother took Karthik where he heard the news and Karthik did a great deed. He call his wife to give the phone to Ayya to listen what is happening. Karthik confront the gang and they tells the truth what really happened to Aravindan on that day.

Climax: Karthik was shocked that Aravindan is not a good guy and he is dating one a gang's sister and he cheated her. She suicides by drunk the poison and dies. This angers her brother and he want to take revenge on Aravindan. On that day Subhu pierced him and he escaped and running to Gang for help. Despite his sister's death he let him died by throwing a huge rock over Aravindan's head. Ayya heard it over phone and he informs the police and Karthikeyan was knocked down by a member of gang. They carried Karthik to the van and ready to escape but Police and Ayya found them and rescue Karthik. Then gang pulled a gun from policeman's pocket and shoots Karthik and Policemen arrested him and put him in the jail. Karthik was taken to the hospital as he was in a very serious condition. Ayya gets Subhu released from the jail and went to hospital.The doctors find hard to save Karthik as he is risky stage and he was happy to accept Subhu as his mother and asked her to give a lap for him to sleep on it. Everyone was very sad and cried as Karthik knew he is going to die.

The good news is started happening. Karthik survives after seeing his mother. He requested Subhu to meet Arvindan's family to know the truth and convince them to accept Sharu. Subhu goes there, confronts them and tells them truth about Aravindan. Aravindan's mother knew that her son is bad and she tells her husband about true colour of Arvindan. He felt shame and visits Ayya's house to seek forgiveness.Ayya realized that Subhu had visited them before him. Aravindan's family asks for Sharu as Sharu refuses to go there. Karthik pleas with Sharu to see him as he wants to ask forgiveness for his miserable mistakes he made to her life. Sharu felt so bad and didn't see his face and cried in the house. Karthik and Ilvanji's chapter is over as they again become a couple together. Sharu's chapter is over as she is accepted to be daughter in law for Aravindan's family.

Then Selvakannan faces little trouble with Kokila's husband Radnan. Whilst Kokila was his classmate and she refuses to let her husband to know about the baby. But drunkard Ratnan comes to know and blackmails selvakannan for ransom to keep secret. Ganga finds suspicious what is happening between Selva and the lady as she appoints her as a servant.Then Ratnan comes into the house to reveal the truth but Ganga knows him who is he and Kokila. She calls everyone to the hall and begun to truth of Ratnan, Kokila and the baby. She insisted Kokila to take the baby back and Selva felts guilty for not telling the truth to Ganga as he asks her for forgiveness. She accepts him as she says he is best husband who wants her to be happy after all. Kokila and Ratnan with the baby walks out of the house. As Ganga and Selvakannan's chapter is over and getting along to be happy.

Kulaskeran comes with his wife Mutharasi to Ayya's house to take his daughter Ilavanji which he didn't want his daughter to be with her Karthik. Mutharasi refuses him to take her daughter and she argues him and makes him to remove her marriage chain by his hand. Kulaskeran challenge to demolish Ayya and his family with upcoming master plans.

Ayya caught Vandana and her mother mixing poison in the food. Subhulakshmi and Kulasekaran suddenly appear to stop everyone from eating the foods. Kulasekaran turns over a new leaf and everyone takes family photos and are happy.

Cast

International broadcast

• In Sri Lanka Tamil Channel on Shakthi TV.

Remakes

The series has been remade into in Kannada language as Bangara broadcast on Udaya TV Starring by Tamil Film Actress Rathi acting Female lead role and Telugu language as Aparanji broadcast on Gemini TV Starring by Suhasini.

See also

• List of programs broadcast by Sun TV

References

External links

• Official Website (English)
• Sun TV on YouTube
• Sun TV Network (English)
• Sun Group (English)