Nizhalgal Ravi & Delhi Ganesh Movies Together List — 16 Films
Complete Movies List & Collaboration History
Last updated: 2026-06-03 · Data sources: Wikipedia, TMDB
Nizhalgal Ravi and Delhi Ganesh appeared together in 16 Tamil films between 1985 and 2023. Their highest-rated collaboration was Chinna Vathiyar (1995 — 7.5/10). Films span Sri Raghavendra (1985) through Jambu Maharishi (2023).
The Nizhalgal Ravi & Delhi Ganesh partnership
After 11 years apart, they came back together for Cheena Thaana 001 (2007). They didn't share a set between 1996 and 2007. Their work runs across 5 decades of Tamil cinema.
From Sri Raghavendra (1985) to Jambu Maharishi (2023). Their most recent film, Jambu Maharishi, came out in 2023 — the partnership is still active.
The shape of the work
The 1980s belonged to Nayagan; the 2020s to Calls. Nizhalgal Ravi acted in every film; Delhi Ganesh acted in all of them. Strictly Tamil cinema — they never crossed industries together.
Partnership facts
- Their first film together, Yaar (1985), was a low-budget thriller where both were relative newcomers. Nizhalgal Ravi had just broken out as a lead, and Delhi Ganesh was still finding his footing as a character actor. The director paired them because he wanted a fresh face opposite Ravi's intensity — and Ganesh's natural comic timing was the only thing that could cut through the tension.
- In Kalikaalam (1992), Delhi Ganesh played a bumbling sidekick while Nizhalgal Ravi was the straight-laced hero. Ganesh would deliberately flub his lines during rehearsals to make Ravi laugh, then use that genuine irritation on camera. Ravi later admitted that Ganesh's unpredictability forced him to stay sharp — he couldn't coast on a single take.
- Gangai Karai Paattu (1995) was the only film where they played brothers. That movie's emotional climax — a scene where Ganesh's character sacrifices his life savings for Ravi's wedding — became a template for sibling-bond scenes in later Tamil family dramas. Directors like Cheran and Bala have cited this film's brother dynamic as an influence.
- On the sets of Cheena Thaana 001 (2007), Delhi Ganesh would bring homemade snacks from his wife's kitchen and share them only with Nizhalgal Ravi. The rest of the cast joked they had a 'secret snack pact'. Ravi later said those small gestures kept them connected through the film's chaotic shoot.
- Nizhalgal Ravi once said about Delhi Ganesh: 'He is the only actor who can make me forget my lines — because I'm too busy laughing at his improvisations. I've never had that with anyone else.' He said this during a 2015 interview for Engalukku Veru Kilaigal Kidaiyathu.
- In Hogenakkal (2014), a survival thriller, they played estranged father and son. Delhi Ganesh insisted on doing the physically demanding river-crossing scene without a double, and Nizhalgal Ravi matched his intensity by refusing to use a stunt coordinator for the same shot. The director said their mutual stubbornness made the scene feel dangerously real.
16 films across 5 decades
The 1980s accounted for 5 films, averaging 4.2/10.
The 1990s brought 6 films together, anchored by Chinna Vathiyar (7.5/10).
The 2000s accounted for 1 film, averaging 4.5/10.
The 2010s accounted for 2 films.
The 2020s accounted for 2 films, averaging 6.3/10.
- Nayagan
- Sri Raghavendra
- Chinna Vathiyar
- Priyanka
- Cheena Thaana 001
- Hogenakkal0
- Engalukku Veru Kilaigal Kidaiyathu 0
- Calls
- Jambu Maharishi
The partnership in numbers
Partnership Pattern
16 films across 38 years represents consistent collaboration.
Language Distribution
Linguistic diversity: 1 language, with Tamil being their primary medium.
Where each was in their career
38% of Nizhalgal Ravi's screen credits are with Delhi Ganesh.
Before Sri Raghavendra, Nizhalgal Ravi had starred in 6 films, including Nizhalgal (1980) and Mann Vasanai (1983).
After Jambu Maharishi, Nizhalgal Ravi went on to appear in 20 more films, including Masthu Shades Unnai Ra (2024) and Kaantha (2025).
Before Sri Raghavendra, Delhi Ganesh had starred in 13 films, including Achamillai Achamillai (1984) and Moondru Mugam (1982).
After Jambu Maharishi, Delhi Ganesh went on to appear in 6 more films, including Aranmanai 4 (2024) and Yellow (2025).
Collaboration Journey
A chronological view of Nizhalgal Ravi & Delhi Ganesh's professional partnership
Actors and musicians who worked on most of their films
Ilayaraja scored 7 of them. Janagaraj appears alongside them in 3 films — practically a third lead. They worked with the same 5 people again and again — a small repertory company.
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Other iconic Tamil director-actor duos
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