Ilayaraja & Kanaka Movies Together List — 16 Films
Complete Movies List & Collaboration History
Last updated: 2026-06-03 · Data sources: Wikipedia, TMDB
Ilayaraja and Kanaka appeared together in 16 Tamil films between 1989 and 1996. Their highest-rated collaboration was Vellaya Thevan (1990 — 6.7/10). Films span Karagattakaran (1989) through Katta Panchayathu (1996).
The Ilayaraja & Kanaka partnership
Between 1989 and 1996, they barely worked apart — 16 films in 7 years. 1990 was their peak — 6 films in twelve months. For 7 years, a Ilayaraja–Kanaka film arrived almost every year.
From Karagattakaran (1989) to Katta Panchayathu (1996). The played out closed with Katta Panchayathu in 1996.
The shape of the work
The 1990s account for 88% of everything they made together. The 1980s belonged to Karagattakaran; the 1990s to Vellaya Thevan. Ilayaraja scored every film; Kanaka acted in all of them. Strictly Tamil cinema — they never crossed industries together.
16 films across 2 decades
The 1980s accounted for 2 films, averaging 3.6/10.
The 1990s accounted for 14 films, averaging 5.7/10.
- Karagattakaran
- Thangamana Rasa0
- Vellaya Thevan
- Ooru Vittu Ooru Vandhu
The partnership in numbers
Partnership Pattern
16 films across 7 years represents focused partnership.
Language Distribution
Linguistic diversity: 1 language, with Tamil being their primary medium.
Where each was in their career
89% of Kanaka's screen credits are with Ilayaraja. After Katta Panchayathu, Ilayaraja kept going for 88 more films; Kanaka stepped back.
Karagattakaran was Ilayaraja's acting debut.
After Katta Panchayathu, Ilayaraja went on to appear in 88 more films, including Pithamagan (2003) and Merku Thodarchi Malai (2018).
Karagattakaran was Kanaka's acting debut.
After Katta Panchayathu, Kanaka went on to appear in 2 more films, including Viralukketha Veekkam (1999) and Simmarasi (1998).
Collaboration Journey
A chronological view of Ilayaraja & Kanaka's professional partnership
Actors and musicians who worked on most of their films
Goundamani appears alongside them in 3 films — practically a third lead. They worked with the same 6 people again and again — a small repertory company.
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Other iconic Tamil director-actor duos
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