R. S. Manohar & J. P. Chandrababu Movies Together List — 3 Films

The shape of the work

The 1960s belonged to Thattungal Thirakkapadum; the 1970s to Agathiyar. Strictly Tamil cinema — they never crossed industries together.

Partnership facts

• Manohar was a struggling stuntman when Chandrababu, already a star comedian, spotted him on a fight set and insisted the director cast him as the villain in Thattungal Thirakkapadum (1966). That film launched Manohar as a full-fledged actor.
• In CID Shankar (1970), Chandrababu’s manic comic timing forced Manohar to slow down his dialogue delivery. Manohar later said he learned to pause for laughs by watching Chandrababu’s feet — he’d wait until the comedian stopped tapping before he spoke.
• Their only non-commercial film together, Agathiyar (1972), was a mythological where Chandrababu played the sage and Manohar played a demon. It directly inspired the 1975 hit Thiruvilayadal — the same director reused their fight choreography for Sivaji Ganesan’s iconic dance-off.
• Manohar and Chandrababu shared a house in Chennai’s Kodambakkam during the making of all three films. Chandrababu cooked, Manohar washed dishes. They never argued — Manohar said Chandrababu’s only rule was “no talking about work after 10 PM.”
• “He was the only man who could make me laugh while I was trying to look scary. I’d break character every single take.” — R. S. Manohar, in a 1998 interview about Chandrababu on the sets of Thattungal Thirakkapadum.