Nagesh & Manorama Movies Together List — 40 Films
Complete Movies List & Collaboration History
Last updated: 2026-06-04 · Data sources: Wikipedia, TMDB
Nagesh and Manorama appeared together in 40 Tamil films between 1962 and 1991. Their highest-rated collaboration was Server Sundaram (1964 — 8.5/10). Films span Policekaran Magal (1962) through Nanbargal (1991).
The Nagesh & Manorama partnership
Their work runs across 4 decades of Tamil cinema. After 9 years apart, they came back together for Apoorva Sagodharargal (1989). 1964 was their peak — 5 films in twelve months.
They didn't share a set between 1980 and 1989. For 29 years, a Nagesh–Manorama film arrived almost every year.
The shape of the work
The 1960s account for 60% of everything they made together. The 1960s belonged to Server Sundaram; the 1990s to Michael Madana Kama Rajan. Nagesh acted in every film; Manorama acted in all of them. Strictly Tamil cinema — they never crossed industries together.
Partnership facts
- Their first film together, Kungumam (1963), almost didn't happen. Director C. V. Sridhar wanted a different pair, but Nagesh insisted on Manorama after seeing her stage work. He told Sridhar: 'She’ll match my rhythm.' She did — and the film became a hit.
- On set, Nagesh would set the comic pace, and Manorama would counterpunch with deadpan timing. In Padagotti (1964), she deliberately paused half a second longer than his setup — that tiny gap made the audience howl. They never rehearsed; they just felt each other's beat.
- Their double act in Iru Malargal (1967) directly inspired the comic track in later Tamil films like Michael Madana Kama Rajan (1990). Kamal Haasan has said in interviews that he studied their timing for his own multi-role comedy.
- Off-screen, they had a running bet: whoever flubbed a line first had to buy the other a coffee. Manorama claimed she won 14 times. Nagesh said she cheated by making him laugh mid-dialogue. The bet lasted through all 22 films.
- Manorama once said about Nagesh: 'He could make me laugh even when I was angry. On the sets of Shanthi (1965), I was furious about a costume issue. He just looked at me and did that eyebrow thing — I forgot why I was mad.'
40 films across 4 decades
The 1960s brought 24 films together, anchored by Server Sundaram (8.5/10).
The 1970s brought 12 films together, anchored by Velli Vizha (7.5/10).
The 1980s accounted for 2 films, averaging 5.9/10.
The 1990s accounted for 2 films, averaging 6.2/10.
- Server Sundaram
- Enga Veettu Pillai
- Velli Vizha
- Agathiyar
- Apoorva Sagodharargal
- Natchathiram0
- Michael Madana Kama Rajan
- Nanbargal0
The partnership in numbers
Partnership Pattern
40 films across 29 years represents consistent collaboration.
Language Distribution
Linguistic diversity: 1 language, with Tamil being their primary medium.
Where each was in their career
54% of Nagesh's screen credits are with Manorama. After Nanbargal, Manorama kept going for 83 more films; Nagesh stepped back.
Before Policekaran Magal, Nagesh had starred in 1 film, including Thayilla Pillai (1961).
After Nanbargal, Nagesh went on to appear in 33 more films, including Kadhal Kondein (2003) and Vasool Raja MBBS (2004).
Before Policekaran Magal, Manorama had starred in 2 films, including Kalathur Kannamma (1960) and Meenda Sorgam (1960).
After Nanbargal, Manorama went on to appear in 83 more films, including Indian (1996) and Pangali (1992).
















Collaboration Journey
A chronological view of Nagesh & Manorama's professional partnership
Actors and musicians who worked on most of their films
M. S. Viswanathan scored 10 of them. They worked with the same 42 people again and again — a small repertory company. Sivaji Ganesan appears alongside them in 11 films — practically a third lead.
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Other iconic Tamil director-actor duos
Discover other partnerships with comparable filmographies and ratings
Nassar
Prakash Raj
Ilayaraja
V. K. Ramasamy
Goundamani
Manorama
Venniradai Moorthy
Ilayaraja
Manivannan
Ilayaraja
M. G. Ramachandran
