Rajinikanth & Ilayaraja Movies Together — 59 Films
Complete Movies List & Collaboration History
About This Collaboration
Rajinikanth & Ilayaraja have worked together on 59 films in Indian cinema. Their collaboration began in 1977 and extends to 1994, representing 17 years of joint work. Working Rajinikanth as Actor and Ilayaraja as Music Composer, their pairing brought together complementary creative strengths that carved out a distinctive niche despite uneven audience reception.
Among their most acclaimed works are "Padhinaru Vayadhiniley", "Mullum Malarum", "Aarilirunthu Arubathu Varai" — with "Padhinaru Vayadhiniley" earning a top rating of 8.4/10. Across all their joint films, they maintain an average audience rating of 5.4/10 — a mixed record that includes acclaimed titles alongside films that underperformed.
Their most productive period was the 1980s, when they delivered 34 films that shaped the era's cinema. The bulk of their work is in Tamil cinema. From "Gaayathri" (1977) to "Veera" (1994), their partnership has evolved through shifting industry landscapes while maintaining its artistic core.
This page brings together their complete joint filmography, a year-by-year timeline of the partnership, the extended network of directors, actors, and crew they shared across projects, and a curated list of similar creative pairings you may want to explore.
Career Context
Before Gaayathri, Rajinikanth had starred in 2 films, including Apoorva Raagangal (1975) and Moondru Mudichu (1976).
After Veera, Rajinikanth went on to appear in 28 more films, including Robot (2010) and Petta (2019).
Before Gaayathri, Ilayaraja had starred in 6 films, including Bhadrakali (1976) and Kalangalil Aval Vasantham (1976).
After Veera, Ilayaraja went on to appear in 159 more films, including Sri Rama Rajyam (2011) and Viduthalai (2023).
Collaboration DNA
Partnership Pattern
59 films across 17 years represents focused partnership.
Language Distribution
Linguistic diversity: 1 language, with Tamil being their primary medium.
Creative Evolution
- Padhinaru Vayadhiniley
- Mullum Malarum
- Nallavanuku Nallavan
- Johnny
- Veera
- Mannan
This duo's 59-film partnership spans 3 decades of Indian cinema, with their most productive period being the 1980s when they delivered 34 films that defined the era.
Collaboration Journey
A chronological view of Rajinikanth & Ilayaraja's professional partnership
Shared Crew
People who worked on Rajinikanth & Ilayaraja's films together
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