Aarthi & Riyaz Khan Movies Together List — 3 Films
Complete Movies List & Collaboration History
Last updated: 2026-06-05 · Data sources: Wikipedia, TMDB
Aarthi and Riyaz Khan appeared together in 3 Tamil films between 2006 and 2012. Their highest-rated collaboration was Thirupathi (2006 — 6.5/10). Films span Thirupathi (2006) through Kandha (2012).
The Aarthi & Riyaz Khan partnership
From Thirupathi (2006) to Kandha (2012). It started with Thirupathi (2006).
The shape of the work
The 2000s belonged to Thirupathi; the 2010s to Kandha. Aarthi acted in every film; Riyaz Khan acted in all of them. Strictly Tamil cinema — they never crossed industries together.
Partnership facts
- They first met on the set of Thirupathi (2006) — Aarthi was already cast, but Riyaz Khan was brought in last minute after the original villain dropped out. Aarthi later said she had no idea who he was until they started shooting the climax fight.
- In Malai Malai (2009), Aarthi’s comic timing forced Riyaz to drop his usual serious villain act and match her energy. He admitted in an interview that she made him laugh so much during a market scene that they had to reshoot it three times.
- After Kandha (2012) wrapped, they never spoke again. No fight, no fallout — just drifted apart. Riyaz once said in a casual chat that they were 'work friends, not real friends' and that he didn't even have her number anymore.
- "She was the only co-star who made me forget my lines because I was busy laughing. That's rare for a villain." — Riyaz Khan, in a 2010 interview about Malai Malai.
- Their pairing in Thirupathi (2006) was so unexpected — a comedy heroine vs a serious villain — that it inspired a minor trend in Tamil B-movies: casting rom-com actresses opposite heavy antagonists for tonal contrast. You can see the ripple in films like Vellore Maavattam (2011).
3 films across 2 decades
The 2000s accounted for 2 films, averaging 5.5/10.
The 2010s accounted for 1 film.
- Thirupathi
- Malai Malai
- Kandha0
The partnership in numbers
Partnership Pattern
3 films across 6 years represents consistent collaboration.
Language Distribution
Linguistic diversity: 1 language, with Tamil being their primary medium.
Where each was in their career
Before Thirupathi, Aarthi had starred in 5 films, including Giri (2004) and Arul (2004).
After Kandha, Aarthi went on to appear in 23 more films, including Viyuham (2022) and Kayal (2014).
Before Thirupathi, Riyaz Khan had starred in 16 films, including Dongodu (2003) and Athma (1993).
After Kandha, Riyaz Khan went on to appear in 13 more films, including 2.0 (2018) and WWW (2021).
Collaboration Journey
A chronological view of Aarthi & Riyaz Khan's professional partnership
Actors and musicians who worked on most of their films
People who worked on Aarthi & Riyaz Khan's films together
