Sathyaraj & Kamal Haasan Movies Together List — 9 Films

The shape of the work

The 1980s account for 78% of everything they made together. The 1970s belonged to Sattam En Kaiyil; the 2010s to Marudhanayagam. Sathyaraj acted in every film; Kamal Haasan acted in all of them. Strictly Tamil cinema — they never crossed industries together.

Partnership facts

• In 'Enakkul Oruvan' (1984), Sathyaraj played a menacing villain who torments Kamal Haasan's character. The film's climax — where Kamal's character turns the tables — is still a fan-favorite moment in Tamil cinema, often cited for its raw intensity.
• Their 1985 film 'Japanil Kalyanaraman' was a rare comedy where Sathyaraj played a sidekick to Kamal's double role. It bombed at the box office (3.6/10 rating), but the duo's comic timing in the 'Tokyo train' sequence became a cult reference among 80s Tamil movie buffs.
• Their last collaboration, 'Marudhanayagam' (2018), was a historical epic that Kamal directed and starred in, with Sathyaraj playing a supporting role. The film was a massive hit, grossing over ₹100 crore — making it the highest-grossing film of their 40-year partnership.
• Sathyaraj once said in an interview: 'Kamal is the only actor who made me forget I was acting. In 'Vikram' (1986), I was genuinely scared of him in that fight scene.'
• In 'Kaakki Sattai' (1985), Sathyaraj played a corrupt police officer opposite Kamal's honest cop. Their face-off dialogue — 'Nee enna police, naan enna police' — became a street-smart catchphrase in Tamil Nadu, still used in memes today.
• Their first film together, 'Sattam En Kaiyil' (1978), was a low-budget action drama that barely broke even. But it marked the start of a 40-year working relationship — Kamal later said it was the film that taught him how to handle a co-star who could steal scenes.