Karthik & Ilayaraja Movies Together — 46 Films

Karthik and Ilayaraja have worked together on 46 films, with their collaboration spanning from 1981 to 2017 — a creative partnership lasting over 36 years. Their most productive decade was the 1980s, which accounted for 24 of their joint projects, cementing that era as the peak of their creative output.

Their first collaboration was "Alaigal Oivathillai" in 1981. The film featured Karthik as Actor and Ilayaraja as Music Composer. That debut set the foundation for a partnership that would grow to 46 films over the following years.

Their highest-rated collaboration is "Mouna Ragam" (1986), which holds a rating of 8.2/10. Other critically acclaimed entries include "Alaigal Oivathillai" (7.8/10) and "Nallavanuku Nallavan". Overall, their joint filmography averages 3.1/10 — an average that points to an uneven run — their best work stands out, but not every collaboration landed with audiences.

In their collaborations, Karthik most frequently as Actor, and Ilayaraja most frequently as Music Composer. This pairing of Actor and Music Composer created a recognisable dynamic, though several of their collaborations underperformed with audiences.

The majority of Karthik & Ilayaraja's joint work is in Tamil cinema. Their sustained focus within Tamil film has allowed them to develop a distinctive shared aesthetic recognisable to fans of the industry.

Their most recent collaboration is "Muthuramalingam" (2017). As of 2017, their partnership continues to be relevant, with the film adding to a legacy built over 46 projects.

The Karthik and Ilayaraja partnership stands out in Tamil cinema for its longevity and volume — 46 films across 36 years is an exceptionally sustained creative relationship in any industry. Their collaborative average of 3.1/10 points to an uneven run; this partnership is notable for its longevity rather than uniform commercial success. Titles like "Mouna Ragam" (8.2/10) remain benchmarks of their era.

The highest-rated collaboration between Karthik and Ilayaraja is "Mouna Ragam" (1986), rated 8.2/10. Other top-rated films together include "Alaigal Oivathillai" and "Nallavanuku Nallavan".

Karthik and Ilayaraja have collaborated across 36 years, from 1981 to 2017. Over this period they worked on 46 films, making theirs one of the longer-running creative partnerships in Indian cinema.

The Karthik & Ilayaraja collaboration is a **selective partnership** in the Indian film industry. With 46 films together, Karthik and Ilayaraja demonstrate a sustained commitment to collaborating, which is relatively uncommon compared to one-off project pairings. Their 15+ year association shows remarkable consistency and mutual professional respect.

Karthik and Ilayaraja typically collaborate at intervals of approximately 1 years between projects. Their collaborations have ranged from 0-year to 18-year gaps, reflecting both deliberate project selection and occasional longer breaks between working together.

Their most prolific period was the 1980s, when they delivered 24 films together. This was a peak creative period that helped define both their legacies. While they continued collaborating beyond this era (22 additional films), the 1980s remains their most concentrated and impactful output.

The chemistry between Karthik and Ilayaraja stems from complementary creative strengths: their roles as Actor and Music Composer create narrative balance.Their sustained collaboration across multiple films indicates genuine artistic synergy and mutual respect in their creative decision-making.

If you enjoy Karthik & Ilayaraja's films, explore other notable collaborations in Indian cinema with similar thematic focus or era. Browse our curated collections of similar creative pairings and multi-generational collaborations on the 'Similar Collaborations' section of this page.

As of 2026, their most recent collaboration was "Muthuramalingam" in 2017. With 9 years since their last joint project, fans have been hoping for a new collaboration. No official announcements have been made, but their proven creative chemistry makes a future collaboration a possibility worth watching.