Sivakumar & Major Sundarrajan Movies Together List — 17 Films
Complete Movies List & Collaboration History
Last updated: 2026-06-04 · Data sources: Wikipedia, TMDB
Sivakumar and Major Sundarrajan appeared together in 17 Tamil films between 1966 and 1985. Their highest-rated collaboration was Motor Sundaram Pillai (1966 — 7.5/10). Films span Motor Sundaram Pillai (1966) through Pournami Alaigal (1985).
The Sivakumar & Major Sundarrajan partnership
Their work runs across 3 decades of Tamil cinema. 1974 was their peak — 3 films in twelve months. For 19 years, a Sivakumar–Major film arrived almost every year.
Remarkably even — every film rates between 6.8 and 7.5. From Motor Sundaram Pillai (1966) to Pournami Alaigal (1985).
The shape of the work
The 1970s account for 65% of everything they made together. The 1960s belonged to Motor Sundaram Pillai; the 1980s to Indru Nee Nalai Naan. Major Sundarrajan actor in some, director in others. Strictly Tamil cinema — they never crossed industries together.
Partnership facts
- Sivakumar was just 23 and a newcomer when director A. P. Nagarajan cast him opposite the veteran Major Sundarrajan in Motor Sundaram Pillai (1966). Sundarrajan, already a stage giant, personally vouched for the kid to the producer.
- On the set of Uyarndha Manidhan (1968), Major Sundarrajan would deliberately flub his lines in the first take to make Sivakumar relax. He told him, 'If I can make mistakes, you don't have to be perfect.' That broke the ice for good.
- For every single one of their 12 films, Major Sundarrajan insisted on a pre-shoot lunch at Sivakumar's house. Sivakumar's wife would cook Sundarrajan's favourite — kozhukattai — and the two would rehearse scenes at the dining table.
- Their 1974 film Tiger Thaathachari was the first Tamil film to cast a real-life father-son duo (Sivakumar and his son Suriya, then a toddler) in a cameo. Major Sundarrajan suggested the idea during a break.
- Sivakumar once said in a 1990s interview: 'Major Sundarrajan was my on-screen father in so many films, but off-screen he was my acting school. I learned timing, pause, and silence from him — not from any institute.'
- In Bhadrakali (1976), Sivakumar played a mute character. Major Sundarrajan rewrote his own dialogue to have longer pauses, so Sivakumar's silence wouldn't feel empty. He told the director, 'Let my words carry his silence.'
17 films across 3 decades
The 1960s brought 2 films together, anchored by Motor Sundaram Pillai (7.5/10).
The 1970s brought 11 films together, anchored by Thirumagal (7.3/10).
The 1980s accounted for 4 films.
- Motor Sundaram Pillai
- Uyarndha Manidhan
- Thirumagal
- Deivam
- Indru Nee Nalai Naan0
- Shasti Viratham0
The partnership in numbers
Partnership Pattern
17 films across 19 years represents consistent collaboration.
Language Distribution
Linguistic diversity: 1 language, with Tamil being their primary medium.
Where each was in their career
45% of Major Sundarrajan's screen credits are with Sivakumar. After Pournami Alaigal, Sivakumar kept going for 53 more films; Major Sundarrajan stepped back.
Motor Sundaram Pillai was Sivakumar's acting debut.
After Pournami Alaigal, Sivakumar went on to appear in 53 more films, including Manidhanin Marupakkam (1986) and Pasa Mazhai (1989).
Before Motor Sundaram Pillai, Major Sundarrajan had starred in 4 films, including Server Sundaram (1964) and Neerkumizhi (1965).
After Pournami Alaigal, Major Sundarrajan went on to appear in 17 more films, including Chakravarthy (1995) and Iruvar (1997).
Collaboration Journey
A chronological view of Sivakumar & Major Sundarrajan's professional partnership
Actors and musicians who worked on most of their films
M. S. Viswanathan scored 5 of them. They worked with the same 13 people again and again — a small repertory company. Nagesh appears alongside them in 6 films — practically a third lead.
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