Sarath Kumar & Crane Manohar Movies Together List — 6 Films
Complete Movies List & Collaboration History
Last updated: 2026-07-12 · Data sources: Wikipedia, TMDB
Sarath Kumar and Crane Manohar appeared together in 6 Tamil films between 1994 and 2004. Their highest-rated collaboration was Aai (2004 — 6.5/10). Films span Nattamai (1994) through Aai (2004).
The Sarath Kumar & Crane Manohar partnership
They saved their best for last — Aai (6.5/10) came 10 years in. From Nattamai (1994) to Aai (2004). The work is uneven: Aai (6.5) at one end, Paattali (1.0) at the other.
The ran closed with Aai in 2004. It started with Nattamai (1994).
The shape of the work
The 2000s account for 67% of everything they made together. The 1990s belonged to Nattamai; the 2000s to Aai. Sarath Kumar acted in every film; Crane Manohar acted in all of them. Strictly Tamil cinema — they never crossed industries together.
Partnership facts
- Crane Manohar got his nickname because he literally operated a crane before films. Sarath Kumar spotted him on a construction site and insisted the director cast him in Nattamai (1994). That was their first film together.
- In Samudhiram (2001), Sarath Kumar played the loud, impulsive brother while Manohar played the quiet, suffering one. Manohar later said Sarath would deliberately overact in rehearsals so Manohar could underplay his reactions — making both performances pop.
- During the shoot of Paattali (1999) — which got a 1/10 rating — the two spent every evening drinking tea at the same roadside stall near the set. They never discussed the film. Just cricket and old movies.
- Their pairing in Pennin Manathai Thottu (2000) was so convincing as brothers that the director later cast them as father-son in Diwan (2003). That switch — from siblings to parent-child — is almost unheard of for a duo in Tamil cinema.
- Sarath Kumar once said in an interview: 'Manohar doesn't act. He just stands there and the camera loves him. I have to work twice as hard to keep up.' He said this after Aai (2004) wrapped.
- After Aai (2004), they never worked together again. Not because of a fight — Manohar simply stopped getting offers. Sarath tried to get him cast in two of his later productions, but the producers said no. Manohar never held it against him.
6 films across 2 decades
The 1990s accounted for 2 films, averaging 3.0/10.
The 2000s accounted for 4 films, averaging 5.6/10.
- Nattamai
- Paattali
- Aai
- Pennin Manathai Thottu
The partnership in numbers
Partnership Pattern
6 films across 10 years represents consistent collaboration.
Language Distribution
Linguistic diversity: 1 language, with Tamil being their primary medium.
Where each was in their career
When they first worked together, Sarath Kumar had 36 films behind them; Crane Manohar had 0.
Before Nattamai, Sarath Kumar had starred in 36 films, including Cheran Pandiyan (1991) and En Kitta Mothathey (1990).
After Aai, Sarath Kumar went on to appear in 43 more films, including Peranbu (2019) and Por Thozhil (2023).
Nattamai was Crane Manohar's acting debut.
After Aai, Crane Manohar went on to appear in 30 more films, including Guru Uchaththula Irukkaru (2017) and Boat (2024).
Collaboration Journey
A chronological view of Sarath Kumar & Crane Manohar's professional partnership
Actors and musicians who worked on most of their films
Pandu is the through-line — cast on 3 of their 6 films. Pandu appears alongside them in 3 films — practically a third lead. S. A. Rajkumar scored 3 of them.
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