Manobala & Livingston Movies Together List — 9 Films
Complete Movies List & Collaboration History
Last updated: 2026-07-18 · Data sources: Wikipedia, TMDB
Manobala and Livingston appeared together in 9 Tamil films between 2008 and 2022. Their highest-rated collaboration was Naai Sekar (2022 — 6.6/10). Films span Dindigul Sarathy (2008) through Naai Sekar (2022).
The Manobala & Livingston partnership
They saved their best for last — Naai Sekar (6.6/10) came 14 years in. Their work runs across 3 decades of Tamil cinema. From Dindigul Sarathy (2008) to Naai Sekar (2022).
It started with Dindigul Sarathy (2008).
The shape of the work
The 2000s belonged to Dindigul Sarathy; the 2020s to Naai Sekar. Manobala acted in every film; Livingston acted in all of them. Strictly Tamil cinema — they never crossed industries together.
Partnership facts
- Manobala didn't just cast Livingston in 'Dindigul Sarathy' (2008) — he wrote the role specifically for him after watching Livingston's comic timing in a stage play. Livingston almost said no because the character was too small.
- On the sets of 'Kutti Pisasu' (2010), Manobala would let Livingston improvise entire dialogues. Livingston once ad-libbed a 3-minute rant about temple prasadams that Manobala kept in the final cut — it became the scene audiences still quote.
- Their 2019 hit 'Gurkha' directly launched a new trend in Tamil cinema: the 'village superhero with a twist' genre. Three low-budget imitators followed within a year, all copying the film's mix of slapstick and vigilante justice.
- Manobala and Livingston had a standing rule: no matter how bad the shoot day went, they'd share a single cup of filter coffee after pack-up. They did this on all 8 films, even when they weren't speaking to each other during 'Saravanan Irukka Bayamaen' (2017).
- Livingston once told a behind-the-scenes crew: 'Manobala doesn't direct me. He just winds me up and lets me explode. That's why I keep coming back.'
- In 'Naai Sekar' (2022), Manobala deliberately gave Livingston no script for the climax scene. He just whispered a situation in his ear and said 'go'. Livingston's unrehearsed reaction — a mix of shock and laughter — is the reason that scene works.
9 films across 3 decades
The 2000s accounted for 1 film, averaging 4.5/10.
The 2010s accounted for 5 films, averaging 4.6/10.
The 2020s accounted for 3 films, averaging 6.0/10.
- Dindigul Sarathy
- Gurkha
- Kutti Pisasu
- Naai Sekar
- Naai Sekar
The partnership in numbers
Partnership Pattern
9 films across 14 years represents consistent collaboration.
Language Distribution
Linguistic diversity: 1 language, with Tamil being their primary medium.
Where each was in their career
By the time of Dindigul Sarathy, both already had careers — Manobala with 50 films, Livingston with 52.
Before Dindigul Sarathy, Manobala had starred in 50 films, including Pithamagan (2003) and Gopurangal Saivathillai (1982).
After Naai Sekar, Manobala went on to appear in 17 more films, including Irugapatru (2023) and Viduthalai: Part II (2024).
Before Dindigul Sarathy, Livingston had starred in 52 films, including Nenjirukkum Varai (2006) and Naan Avanillai (2007).
After Naai Sekar, Livingston went on to appear in 12 more films, including Chennai City Gangsters (2025) and Couple Friendly (2026).
Collaboration Journey
A chronological view of Manobala & Livingston's professional partnership
Actors and musicians who worked on most of their films
Yogi Babu appears alongside them in 3 films — practically a third lead.
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