Ilayaraja & C. V. Rajendran Movies Together List — 10 Films
Complete Movies List & Collaboration History
Last updated: 2026-06-04 · Data sources: Wikipedia, TMDB
Ilayaraja and C. V. Rajendran appeared together in 10 Tamil films between 1980 and 1994. Their highest-rated collaboration was Garjanai (1981 — 7.5/10). Films span Ullasa Paravaigal (1980) through Vietnam Colony (1994).
The Ilayaraja & C. V. Rajendran partnership
From Ullasa Paravaigal (1980) to Vietnam Colony (1994). For 14 years, a Ilayaraja–C. film arrived almost every year. The work is uneven: Garjanai (7.5) at one end, Anand (1.0) at the other.
Garjanai is the one most viewers reach for. The spanned closed with Vietnam Colony in 1994.
The shape of the work
The 1980s account for 90% of everything they made together. The 1980s belonged to Garjanai; the 1990s to Vietnam Colony. Ilayaraja scored every film; C. V. Rajendran directed all of them. Strictly Tamil cinema — they never crossed industries together.
10 films across 2 decades
The 1980s brought 9 films together, anchored by Garjanai (7.5/10).
The 1990s accounted for 1 film, averaging 4.6/10.
- Garjanai
- Vazhkai
- Vietnam Colony
The partnership in numbers
Partnership Pattern
10 films across 14 years represents consistent collaboration.
Language Distribution
Linguistic diversity: 1 language, with Tamil being their primary medium.
Where each was in their career
37% of C. V. Rajendran's screen credits are with Ilayaraja. After Vietnam Colony, Ilayaraja kept going for 118 more films; C. V. Rajendran stepped back.
Ullasa Paravaigal was Ilayaraja's acting debut.
After Vietnam Colony, Ilayaraja went on to appear in 118 more films, including Pithamagan (2003) and Merku Thodarchi Malai (2018).
Before Ullasa Paravaigal, C. V. Rajendran had directed 17 films, including Raja (1972) and Galatta Kalyanam (1968).
Collaboration Journey
A chronological view of Ilayaraja & C. V. Rajendran's professional partnership
Actors and musicians who worked on most of their films
Prabhu is the through-line — cast on 5 of their 10 films. Prabhu appears alongside them in 5 films — practically a third lead.
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