Santhana Bharathi & Vijayakumar Movies Together List — 4 Films
Complete Movies List & Collaboration History
Last updated: 2026-07-12 · Data sources: Wikipedia, TMDB
Santhana Bharathi and Vijayakumar appeared together in 4 Tamil films between 1988 and 2013. Their highest-rated collaboration was Chennaiyil Oru Naal (2013 — 7.4/10). Films span Poovizhi Raja (1988) through Chennaiyil Oru Naal (2013).
The Santhana Bharathi & Vijayakumar partnership
After 14 years apart, they came back together for Chennaiyil Oru Naal (2013). They didn't share a set between 1999 and 2013. They saved their best for last — Chennaiyil Oru Naal (7.4/10) came 25 years in.
Their work runs across 3 decades of Tamil cinema. From Poovizhi Raja (1988) to Chennaiyil Oru Naal (2013).
The shape of the work
The 1980s belonged to Poovizhi Raja; the 2010s to Chennaiyil Oru Naal. Strictly Tamil cinema — they never crossed industries together.
Partnership facts
- Santhana Bharathi was a regular assistant director for K. Bhagyaraj when Bhagyaraj recommended him to Vijayakumar for Poovizhi Raja (1988). Vijayakumar trusted the recommendation blindly and gave Bharathi his first break as a solo director.
- On the sets of Love Birds (1996), Vijayakumar would rewrite his own lines in Tamil slang after Santhana Bharathi handed him the script. Bharathi let him do it because Vijayakumar’s rewrites always got bigger laughs from the crew.
- After Aasaiyil Oru Kaditham (1999) flopped, Santhana Bharathi didn’t call Vijayakumar for 11 years. Vijayakumar finally reached out in 2012 and said, “Let’s make one more before we retire.” That became Chennaiyil Oru Naal (2013).
- Chennaiyil Oru Naal (2013) was a direct remake of the Malayalam hit 'Traffic'. But Santhana Bharathi and Vijayakumar changed the climax entirely — and that new ending was later copied by two other Tamil films within the next three years.
- Vijayakumar once said in an interview: “Santhana Bharathi is the only director who let me act like a villain in one scene and a comedian in the next without asking me to change my shirt.”
4 films across 3 decades
The 1980s accounted for 1 film, averaging 6.8/10.
The 1990s accounted for 2 films, averaging 4.9/10.
The 2010s brought 1 film together, anchored by Chennaiyil Oru Naal (7.4/10).
- Poovizhi Raja
- Love Birds
- Aasaiyil Oru Kaditham
- Chennaiyil Oru Naal
The partnership in numbers
Partnership Pattern
4 films across 25 years represents consistent collaboration.
Language Distribution
Linguistic diversity: 1 language, with Tamil being their primary medium.
Where each was in their career
When they first worked together, Santhana Bharathi had 3 films behind them; Vijayakumar had 68.
Before Poovizhi Raja, Santhana Bharathi had starred in 3 films, including Panneer Pushpangal (1981) and Kadamai Kanniyam Kattupaadu (1987).
After Chennaiyil Oru Naal, Santhana Bharathi went on to appear in 16 more films, including Vikram (2022) and Thavam (2019).
Before Poovizhi Raja, Vijayakumar had starred in 68 films, including Aval Oru Thodar Kathai (1974) and Sandhippu (1983).
After Chennaiyil Oru Naal, Vijayakumar went on to appear in 15 more films, including Entha Manchivaadavuraa (2020) and Kuttram 23 (2017).
Collaboration Journey
A chronological view of Santhana Bharathi & Vijayakumar's professional partnership
Actors and musicians who worked on most of their films
Chinni Jayanth is the through-line — cast on 2 of their 4 films.
2
Other iconic Tamil director-actor duos
Discover other partnerships with comparable filmographies and ratings
