Y. Gee. Mahendra & V. K. Ramasamy Movies Together List — 5 Films

The shape of the work

Y. Gee. Mahendra acted in every film; V. K. Ramasamy acted in all of them. Strictly Tamil cinema — they never crossed industries together.

Partnership facts

• V. K. Ramasamy was already a veteran character actor when he agreed to play Y. Gee. Mahendra's father in 'Sakalakala Vallavan' (1982). But here's the twist: Mahendra, who wrote the script, actually wrote the father role specifically for Ramasamy after watching him in a stage play. Ramasamy initially said no — he thought the role was too small. Mahendra convinced him by promising to expand the part during shooting.
• In 'Padikkaatha Pannaiyar' (1985), the comedy rhythm between them worked because Ramasamy deliberately slowed down his delivery. Mahendra was a fast talker on screen. Ramasamy told him: 'You run, I'll walk. The audience will laugh at the gap.' That gap became the film's most quoted scene — the one where the illiterate landlord keeps misunderstanding the educated son.
• Their third film together, 'Tharaasu' (1984), directly launched the career of comedian S. V. Sekhar. Sekhar was a stage actor Mahendra spotted during rehearsals. He asked Ramasamy to test a scene with him. Ramasamy liked the kid so much he insisted Sekhar get a full role. Sekhar later became a staple in Tamil comedy films for two decades.
• On the sets of 'Raja Rishi' (1985), Mahendra and Ramasamy had a standing bet: whoever flubbed a dialogue first had to buy the entire crew filter coffee. Ramasamy, known for his perfect diction, never lost a single bet. Mahendra paid for coffee on 11 out of 14 shooting days.
• Y. Gee. Mahendra once said in a 2017 interview: 'V. K. Ramasamy sir taught me that comedy is not about making people laugh. It's about making them wait for the laugh. He would pause for three seconds before a punchline. I learned that from him, and I still use it.'