Delhi Ganesh & K. S. Ravikumar Movies Together List — 7 Films

The shape of the work

The 1990s belonged to Avvai Shanmughi; the 2020s to Aranmanai 4. K. S. Ravikumar director in some, actor in others. Strictly Tamil cinema — they never crossed industries together.

Partnership facts

• Delhi Ganesh was the one who recommended K. S. Ravikumar to director S. P. Muthuraman for 'Oor Mariyadhai' (1992). Ravikumar was a dialogue writer then, and Ganesh pushed for him to direct. That film became Ravikumar's directorial debut.
• In 'Avvai Shanmughi' (1996), Delhi Ganesh played the strict father. Ravikumar deliberately gave him long, emotional monologues in a single take — something Ganesh was known for. Ganesh later said Ravikumar never cut his scenes short, letting him breathe as an actor.
• After 'Golmaal' (1998) flopped, Ravikumar didn't call Ganesh for a film for over 25 years. They reconnected only when Ravikumar cast him in 'Aranmanai 4' (2024). Ganesh later told a magazine that Ravikumar called him personally and said, 'I need your face for this role, no one else.'
• The success of 'Avvai Shanmughi' (1996) directly led to Kamal Haasan casting Delhi Ganesh in 'Thenali' (2000) and 'Panchatanthiram' (2002). Ganesh has said in interviews that Ravikumar's faith in him during that film opened doors to working with bigger stars.
• Delhi Ganesh once said about Ravikumar: 'He is the only director who gave me a role where I had to cry without a single dialogue — in 'Dharma Chakkaram' (1997). I trusted him blindly because he knew my strengths better than I did.'
• In 'Aranmanai 4' (2024), Ravikumar wrote a small but pivotal comic role for Ganesh — a 90-year-old man who delivers the film's funniest line. Ganesh improvised the line on set, and Ravikumar kept it in the final cut. That scene became a meme on Tamil social media.