Lingam is a 2026 Indian Tamil-language crime drama television series created by Prasanth Pandiyaraj for JioHotstar. The series is inspired by the life of V. Lingam, a notorious gangster from Kanyakumari district from 1987 to 1995.The series is written and directed by Lakshmi Saravanakumar and produced by Raadhika Srinivasan and B. Srinivasan under the banner of Vikatan Televistas.
It follows the dark transformation of a talented Kabaddi champion who is falsely accused of murder on the brink of his athletic success, forcing him into a violent and dangerous underworld. The series stars Kathir, Divyabharathi, Shahir and Poornima Ravi in lead roles.It was released on JioHotstar for its label Hotstar Specials on 26 June 2026 and declared a Streaming Blockbuster.
Plot Muthulingam "Lingam", a brilliant kabaddi champion whose ambition of joining the police force is crushed by a tragic, unjust incident. Wrongfully accused, he is cast into a ruthless criminal underworld. Driven by intense grief and vengeance following the murder of his mentor, Chellapandian, Lingam targets the powerful antagonist, Samiyappan. His path takes a dangerous turn when he attempts to protect a young couple, thrusting him into a massive crisis that forces him into hiding.
Cast Kathir as Muthulingam "Lingam" Divyabharathi as Ponmalar "Malar", Lingam's love interest turned to wife (Voice dubbed by Bhavani Vaithiyalingam) Shahir as Thiru, Lingam's friend Poornima Ravi as Padma, Thiru's love interest Bose Venkat as Advocate Chelladurai Nikhila Sankar as Sathya Shanmugam Muthusamy as Shanmugam Prasanth Pandiyaraj as Seelan M. Chandrakumar as Chellapandian Jai Krishna as Samiyappan Kiccha Ravi as Murugan Dileepan as Alphonse Ragu Esakki as Gunaseelan Phathmen as Martin Reshma Prasad as Kani, Chellapandian's daughter Kaali Venkat as Annachi Bharathi Bala Murali Abbas Vastho Arun Aadukalam Stellaraj Anathi Bakyaraj Umesh Guna Sekharan Uthirapathi Karunakaran Peter J. Chandran S. Trichy Maya Suthagar Vimal (cameo appearance) Bala Saravanan (cameo appearance)
Episodes
Production Development Lingam was written and directed by Lakshmi Saravanakumar, who based the series on the life of V. Lingam, a notorious gangster from Kanyakumari district, while fictionalising several incidents for dramatic purposes. Filmmaker Prasanth Pandiyaraj, known for Vilangu, joined the project as its presenter.The series was produced by Vikatan Televistas for Hotstar Specials and was officially announced as part of the platform's slate of 25 Tamil original productions in December 2025.
Casting In December 2025, Kathir was announced to portray the titular character, Lingam. Divyabharathi was cast as the female lead, while Shahir, Poornima Ravi, Bose Venkat, Nikhila Sankar, and Vimal joined the supporting cast.
Release The first trailer of Lingam was released on 6 June 2026, showcasing the transformation of an aspiring police officer and kabaddi player into a feared gangster after being falsely accused of murder.The series premiered on JioHotstar on 26 June 2026 in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi, Marathi and Bengali.
Music The series has music and background score composed by Tony Britto, in his maiden collaboration with Kathir and Lakshmi Saravanakumar. The audio rights were acquired by Star India Pvt. Ltd.
Reception Critical response Sree of OTT Release gave 4/5 stars and wrote that, "Overall Lingam is a crime drama with good performances, a well-paced story and plenty of suspense. If you are looking for a Tamil series that’s exciting and has a lot of action, emotion and mystery you should watch *Lingam*.Siddartha Toleti of M9 News wrote that, "Long gone are the days when OTTs were a breath of fresh air and served as a medium for alternative storytelling. With digital viewership more or less reaching the saturation point across many platforms, it is not surprising that the idea is to consolidate rather than push the bar. Lingam is just a byproduct of that, needlessly reviving a brand of cinema that has already fallen out of favour with audiences in recent years. Even if rural gangster dramas are your forte, find a better way to kill time than watching Lingam".
Jeevaganesh. P of Ananda Vikatan wrote that, "Even though it changes direction in the second half, 'Lingam' is definitely worth watching as it is a good start and thriller for a gangster movie".
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