Vadivelu & Prabhu Deva Movies Together List — 8 Films

The shape of the work

The 1990s belonged to Kaathala Kaathala; the 2000s to Pokkiri. Prabhu Deva actor in some, director in others. Strictly Tamil cinema — they never crossed industries together.

Partnership facts

• Vadivelu was a struggling mimicry artist when Prabhu Deva spotted him on a stage show in the early 90s. Prabhu Deva personally recommended him to director S. P. Muthuraman for Raasaiyya (1995), giving Vadivelu his first proper film break.
• In Kaathala Kaathala (1998), Prabhu Deva would deliberately flub his lines during comic scenes to make Vadivelu improvise on the spot. Vadivelu later said those unscripted reactions became the scenes audiences remember most.
• During the shoot of Engal Anna (2004), Vadivelu would cook biryani for the entire crew every Sunday. Prabhu Deva once joked that he signed the film only because Vadivelu promised him home-cooked meals.
• Their pairing in Pokkiri (2007) was so popular that director Vishnuvardhan wrote a separate comedy track just for them, which wasn't in the original Telugu version. That track became the most re-watched part of the Tamil remake.
• "He made me look funny without me trying. I'd just stand there and he'd do something ridiculous — I'd break character and laugh. That's real comedy." — Prabhu Deva on Vadivelu, in a 2008 interview with Ananda Vikatan.
• In Villu (2009), their last film together, Vadivelu's character was written as a cowardly sidekick who constantly runs away. Prabhu Deva insisted on adding a scene where his own character saves Vadivelu — reversing their usual dynamic — just to surprise the audience.