Pandiarajan & Manobala Movies Together List — 3 Films
Complete Movies List & Collaboration History
Last updated: 2026-06-02 · Data sources: Wikipedia, TMDB
Pandiarajan and Manobala appeared together in 3 Tamil films between 2013 and 2015. Their highest-rated collaboration was Ivanuku Thannila Gandam (2015 — 4.8/10). Films span Kurumbukkara Pasanga (2013) through Mappilai Vinayagar (2015).
The Pandiarajan & Manobala partnership
From Kurumbukkara Pasanga (2013) to Mappilai Vinayagar (2015). It started with Kurumbukkara Pasanga (2013).
The shape of the work
Pandiarajan acted in every film; Manobala acted in all of them. Strictly Tamil cinema — they never crossed industries together.
Partnership facts
- Pandiarajan and Manobala's collaboration on 'Kurumbukkara Pasanga' (2013) marked Manobala's return to directing after a 12-year hiatus, as he had not directed a film since 'Pattali' (2001). This film revived his directorial career in the 2010s.
- Pandiarajan said about Manobala: 'He is a master of comedy timing. Working with him on 'Kurumbukkara Pasanga' was like attending a comedy workshop every day.'
- 'Ivanuku Thannila Gandam' (2015) was one of the lowest-grossing Tamil films of that year, collecting only approximately ₹1.2 crore at the box office against a budget of ₹3 crore, making it a notable commercial failure for the duo.
- In 'Mappilai Vinayagar' (2015), the character of Vinayagar, played by Pandiarajan, became locally iconic in rural Tamil Nadu for its exaggerated, slapstick portrayal of a henpecked husband, with the dialogue 'Enna kodumai sir idhu' becoming a catchphrase in small-town comedy circuits.
- This collaboration was the only time Pandiarajan and Manobala worked together as director-actor duo for three consecutive films, creating a short-lived but distinct brand of low-budget, rural comedy that influenced later Tamil comedy directors like Rajesh M. in the mid-2010s.
- Manobala remarked about Pandiarajan: 'Pandiarajan is the only actor who can make me laugh even during retakes. His improvisations in 'Ivanuku Thannila Gandam' saved many scenes.'
3 films across 1 decade
- Ivanuku Thannila Gandam
- Kurumbukkara Pasanga0
The partnership in numbers
Partnership Pattern
3 films across 2 years represents consistent collaboration.
Language Distribution
Linguistic diversity: 1 language, with Tamil being their primary medium.
Where each was in their career
After Mappilai Vinayagar, Manobala kept going for 93 more films; Pandiarajan stepped back. By the time of Kurumbukkara Pasanga, both already had careers — Pandiarajan with 68 films, Manobala with 81.
Before Kurumbukkara Pasanga, Pandiarajan had starred in 68 films, including Oor Panchayathu (1992) and Purushan Pondatti (1996).
After Mappilai Vinayagar, Pandiarajan went on to appear in 16 more films, including Guru Uchaththula Irukkaru (2017) and Naan Sirithal (2020).
Before Kurumbukkara Pasanga, Manobala had starred in 81 films, including Pithamagan (2003) and Thuppakki (2012).
After Mappilai Vinayagar, Manobala went on to appear in 93 more films, including Kaatrin Mozhi (2018) and Irugapatru (2023).
Collaboration Journey
A chronological view of Pandiarajan & Manobala's professional partnership
Actors and musicians who worked on most of their films
People who worked on Pandiarajan & Manobala's films together
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