Sivaji Ganesan & Padmini Movies Together List — 22 Films
Complete Movies List & Collaboration History
Last updated: 2026-06-04 · Data sources: Wikipedia, TMDB
Sivaji Ganesan and Padmini appeared together in 22 Tamil films between 1960 and 1986. Their highest-rated collaboration was Thillaanaa Mohanambal (1968 — 8.4/10). Films span Deivapiravi (1960) through Thaikku Oru Thalattu (1986).
The Sivaji Ganesan & Padmini partnership
Their work runs across 3 decades of Tamil cinema. After 8 years apart, they came back together for Thaikku Oru Thalattu (1986). 1960 was their peak — 4 films in twelve months.
They didn't share a set between 1978 and 1986. For 26 years, a Sivaji–Padmini film arrived almost every year.
The shape of the work
The 1960s account for 68% of everything they made together. The 1960s belonged to Thillaanaa Mohanambal; the 1980s to Thaikku Oru Thalattu. Sivaji Ganesan acted in every film; Padmini acted in all of them. Strictly Tamil cinema — they never crossed industries together.
Partnership facts
- Their first film together, Deivapiravi (1960), almost didn't happen. Director K. V. Srinivasan was hesitant to pair Sivaji Ganesan with Padmini because she was a Malayali dancer — he worried her Tamil diction wouldn't match Sivaji's legendary dialogue delivery. Padmini spent weeks drilling her lines with a Tamil tutor before shooting started.
- In Thillaanaa Mohanambal (1968), Sivaji Ganesan insisted Padmini choreograph their climactic dance sequence herself. He told the director: 'She knows the body better than any of us.' She ended up teaching him the nadaswaram-player's hand gestures step-by-step, and the scene became the film's most replayed moment.
- Their pairing in Iru Malargal (1967) directly launched the career of composer M. S. Viswanathan's then-assistant, Ilaiyaraaja. Sivaji heard Ilaiyaraaja's background score for a Padmini dance sequence and told the producer: 'This boy needs his own film.' Ilaiyaraaja got his first break as a lead composer the next year.
- On the sets of Vietnam Veedu (1970), Padmini would bring homemade Kerala-style banana chips for the entire crew every Friday. Sivaji Ganesan, a notorious health nut, would sneak handfuls when she wasn't looking. She caught him once and started packing an extra bag just for him — a ritual that lasted through all their remaining films.
- Padmini once said about Sivaji Ganesan: 'He never treated me like a co-star. He treated me like a partner in a dance. If I missed a step, he would adjust his rhythm to match mine. That is why our films feel like one breath.' She said this in a 1987 interview with the magazine 'Kumudam'.
- In Pesum Daivam (1967), Sivaji Ganesan deliberately slowed down his dialogue pace during their emotional confrontation scene. He told the director: 'Padmini's eyes carry more weight than my words. Let her silence do the work.' The scene ended up being shot in one take — Padmini's tearful reaction was completely unscripted.
22 films across 3 decades
The 1960s brought 15 films together, anchored by Thillaanaa Mohanambal (8.4/10).
The 1970s brought 6 films together, anchored by Vietnam Veedu (7.5/10).
The 1980s accounted for 1 film, averaging 3.7/10.
- Thillaanaa Mohanambal
- Saraswati Sabatham
- Vietnam Veedu
- Vilayattu Pillai0
- Thaikku Oru Thalattu
The partnership in numbers
Partnership Pattern
22 films across 26 years represents consistent collaboration.
Language Distribution
Linguistic diversity: 1 language, with Tamil being their primary medium.
Where each was in their career
51% of Sivaji Ganesan's screen credits are with Padmini. After Thaikku Oru Thalattu, Sivaji Ganesan kept going for 21 more films; Padmini stepped back.
Deivapiravi was Sivaji Ganesan's acting debut.
After Thaikku Oru Thalattu, Sivaji Ganesan went on to appear in 21 more films, including Mudhal Kural (1992) and Veera Pandiyan (1987).
Deivapiravi was Padmini's acting debut.
Collaboration Journey
A chronological view of Sivaji Ganesan & Padmini's professional partnership
Actors and musicians who worked on most of their films
K. V. Mahadevan scored 9 of them. They worked with the same 7 people again and again — a small repertory company. Nagesh appears alongside them in 5 films — practically a third lead.
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2Other iconic Tamil director-actor duos
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