Rajinikanth & J. Mahendran Movies Together List — 6 Films

The shape of the work

The 1970s belonged to Mullum Malarum; the 2010s to Petta. J. Mahendran story in some, director in others. Strictly Tamil cinema — they never crossed industries together.

Partnership facts

• Mahendran didn't want Rajinikanth for Mullum Malarum. He thought the actor was too 'stylish' for the raw village role. Rajini begged for a screen test. Mahendran gave him one scene — and changed his mind on the spot.
• On the sets of Johnny, Mahendran would write dialogues in the morning and hand them to Rajini. The actor would read them once, then deliver them in a single take. No rehearsal. No retakes. That trust became their rhythm.
• Mullum Malarum was the first Tamil film where Rajinikanth's name appeared above the title. Mahendran insisted on it. That single decision changed how the industry saw Rajini — from supporting actor to bankable star.
• After Johnny, Mahendran and Rajini didn't speak for nearly 35 years. No fight. No fallout. They just drifted. Then in 2018, Rajini called Mahendran out of the blue and said, 'I want you to direct me again.' That call became Petta.
• Mahendran once said: 'Rajini is not an actor who needs direction. He needs a situation. Give him the situation, and he will act better than you imagined.' He said this in a 2019 interview about their Petta reunion.
• In Kai Kodukkum Kai, Mahendran deliberately wrote a scene where Rajini's character cries openly — something male stars rarely did in 1984. Rajini hesitated. Mahendran told him, 'If you don't cry, the audience won't believe you're human.' Rajini did it in one take.