Nizhalgal Ravi & Charlie Movies Together List — 15 Films
Complete Movies List & Collaboration History
Last updated: 2026-06-03 · Data sources: Wikipedia, TMDB
Nizhalgal Ravi and Charlie appeared together in 15 Tamil films between 1987 and 2011. Their highest-rated collaboration was Piriyadha Varam Vendum (2001 — 7.5/10). Films span Ore Oru Gramathiley (1987) through Venghai (2011).
The Nizhalgal Ravi & Charlie partnership
Their work runs across 4 decades of Tamil cinema. From Ore Oru Gramathiley (1987) to Venghai (2011). Piriyadha Varam Vendum is the one most viewers reach for.
It started with Ore Oru Gramathiley (1987).
The shape of the work
The 1990s account for 60% of everything they made together. The 1980s belonged to Ore Oru Gramathiley; the 2010s to Venghai. Nizhalgal Ravi acted in every film; Charlie acted in all of them. Strictly Tamil cinema — they never crossed industries together.
Partnership facts
- Their first film together, Ore Oru Gramathiley (1987), almost didn't happen. Director K. Bhagyaraj was casting for a small role and Ravi walked in late. Charlie, already cast, told Bhagyaraj: 'This guy has the face of a man who's seen too much. Keep him.' That line got Ravi the part.
- In Nyaya Tharasu (1989), Charlie played the comic relief while Ravi played the brooding hero. But on set, they swapped roles between takes — Charlie would run Ravi's intense lines in a deadpan voice, making him crack up. That looseness bled into their scenes, giving the film a natural rhythm no one else could replicate.
- Piriyadha Varam Vendum (2001) — their highest-rated collaboration — directly inspired a wave of 'buddy road movies' in early 2000s Tamil cinema. Director S. A. Chandrasekhar later admitted he cast Ravi and Charlie specifically because their real-life bickering felt like the script.
- For every film they did together, Charlie insisted on one ritual: the first day of shoot, he'd buy Ravi a packet of raw mango slices with chili powder. Ravi never asked why. Charlie never explained. It just happened, seven times, across 18 years.
- Charlie once said in a 2005 interview: 'Ravi is the only actor who can make me forget my lines. I'd be mid-dialogue, look at his face, and just laugh. The director would yell 'cut,' but the audience never knew — we kept those takes.'
15 films across 4 decades
The 1980s accounted for 2 films, averaging 6.0/10.
The 1990s accounted for 9 films, averaging 4.7/10.
The 2000s brought 3 films together, anchored by Piriyadha Varam Vendum (7.5/10).
The 2010s accounted for 1 film, averaging 5.7/10.
- Ore Oru Gramathiley
- Nyaya Tharasu0
- Priyanka
- Singaravelan
- Piriyadha Varam Vendum
- Oru Kalluriyin Kathai
- Venghai
The partnership in numbers
Partnership Pattern
15 films across 24 years represents consistent collaboration.
Language Distribution
Linguistic diversity: 1 language, with Tamil being their primary medium.
Where each was in their career
After Venghai, Nizhalgal Ravi kept going for 54 more films; Charlie stepped back. By the time of Ore Oru Gramathiley, both already had careers — Nizhalgal Ravi with 16 films, Charlie with 19.
Before Ore Oru Gramathiley, Nizhalgal Ravi had starred in 16 films, including Nizhalgal (1980) and Mann Vasanai (1983).
After Venghai, Nizhalgal Ravi went on to appear in 54 more films, including Ratsasan (2018) and Andhadhi (2015).
Before Ore Oru Gramathiley, Charlie had starred in 19 films, including Enakkul Oruvan (1984) and Kalyana Agathigal (1985).
After Venghai, Charlie went on to appear in 27 more films, including Papanasam (2015) and Maanagaram (2017).
Collaboration Journey
A chronological view of Nizhalgal Ravi & Charlie's professional partnership
Actors and musicians who worked on most of their films
Charle is the through-line — cast on 8 of their 15 films. Ilayaraja scored 4 of them. They worked with the same 7 people again and again — a small repertory company.
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