Ponnambalam & Vijayakanth Movies Together List — 11 Films

The shape of the work

The 1990s account for 73% of everything they made together. The 1990s belonged to Sendhoorapandi; the 2000s to Thennavan. Ponnambalam acted in every film; Vijayakanth acted in all of them. Strictly Tamil cinema — they never crossed industries together.

Partnership facts

• Their first film together, Bharathan (1992), almost didn't happen. Director Sabapathy Dekshinamurthy initially wanted a different villain for Vijayakanth. But Ponnambalam, then a stunt coordinator, convinced the director to let him act — and ended up playing the antagonist in all 11 of their films together.
• Ponnambalam was the only villain who could physically match Vijayakanth's screen presence. In Sendhoorapandi (1993), their fight scenes weren't choreographed — they were real wrestling moves Ponnambalam knew from his stunt days. Vijayakanth once said he never had to hold back with him.
• Off-screen, they were close friends. Ponnambalam was the only actor Vijayakanth personally invited to his home for meals during shoots. On the sets of Periya Marudhu (1994), they'd share the same lunch box — a habit that lasted through all 11 films.
• Their pairing in Dharma Chakkaram (1997) directly inspired a wave of 'hero vs. physically imposing villain' films in late-90s Tamil cinema. Directors started casting real stuntmen as antagonists because of how raw Ponnambalam made Vijayakanth look in their face-offs.
• Vijayakanth once told a magazine: 'Ponnambalam is the only man who can make me look like I'm fighting for my life. He doesn't act like a villain — he becomes one.'
• In Thennavan (2003), their last film together, Ponnambalam improvised a dialogue where he calls Vijayakanth's character 'anna' (brother) — a line that wasn't in the script. Vijayakanth liked it so much he kept it in the final cut. It became the most quoted line from the film.