R. Krishnamoorthy & R. Krishnamurthy Movies Together List — 6 Films

The shape of the work

The 1980s account for 83% of everything they made together. The 1980s belonged to Billa; the 1990s to Vetri Karangal. R. Krishnamoorthy directed every film; R. Krishnamurthy directed all of them. Strictly Tamil cinema — they never crossed industries together.

Partnership facts

• Director R. Krishnamurthy (the one who made Billa) was a huge fan of Rajinikanth's style. But Rajini was already a star. So Krishnamurthy didn't just cast him — he built the entire film around Rajini's swagger, turning Billa into the film that cemented Rajini's 'mass hero' image in Tamil cinema.
• On the sets of Thee (1981), Krishnamoorthy (the writer) would write dialogues in the morning, and Krishnamurthy (the director) would hand them to Rajini just before the shot. Rajini would read it once, then deliver it with his own rhythm. The director never asked for a retake — he trusted the actor's instinct completely.
• Billa (1980) was the first Tamil film to have a 'smoking style' that became a national trend. Teenagers across Tamil Nadu started copying Rajini's cigarette flip — a move Krishnamurthy choreographed specifically for the title sequence. That single shot spawned a thousand imitations.
• Krishnamoorthy and Krishnamurthy were not just collaborators — they were childhood friends from the same village in Tirunelveli. They used to watch films together as kids, and later decided to make movies as a team. Their bond was so tight that they never signed a contract for any of their six films. A handshake was enough.
• Rajinikanth once said about Krishnamurthy: 'He gave me Billa. That film changed my life. I owe him everything.' He said this at a private function in 1995, years after their last film together.
• In Savaal (1981), Krishnamoorthy wrote a scene where Rajini's character has to cry while laughing. Krishnamurthy insisted on a single take. Rajini nailed it in one shot — the director later said that moment proved Rajini wasn't just a star, but a real actor. That scene is still studied by acting students in Chennai.