Manobala & Devadarshini Movies Together List — 14 Films
Complete Movies List & Collaboration History
Last updated: 2026-07-12 · Data sources: Wikipedia, TMDB
Manobala and Devadarshini appeared together in 14 Tamil films between 2003 and 2019. Their highest-rated collaboration was Bigil (2019 — 6.8/10). Films span Kadhal Kirukkan (2003) through Bigil (2019).
The Manobala & Devadarshini partnership
They saved their best for last — Bigil (6.8/10) came 16 years in. 2014 was their peak — 3 films in twelve months. For 16 years, a Manobala–Devadarshini film arrived almost every year.
From Kadhal Kirukkan (2003) to Bigil (2019). It started with Kadhal Kirukkan (2003).
The shape of the work
The 2010s account for 86% of everything they made together. The 2000s belonged to Kadhal Kirukkan; the 2010s to Bigil. Manobala acted in every film; Devadarshini acted in all of them. Strictly Tamil cinema — they never crossed industries together.
Partnership facts
- Manobala and Devadarshini first worked together in Tenaliraman (2014) because director Yuvaraj Dhayalan specifically wanted a pair who could deliver deadpan comedy without overacting. He cast them as a bickering couple after seeing their individual comic timing in separate projects.
- In Motta Shiva Ketta Shiva (2017), Devadarshini’s character constantly nags Manobala’s character — but she improvised most of her lines on set. Manobala would then react in real time, which gave their arguments a natural, unscripted rhythm that the director kept in the final cut.
- Their pairing in Bigil (2019) as a middle-aged couple who run a food stall became so popular that the film’s merchandising team released a limited-edition sticker set featuring just the two of them — something that had never been done for a supporting pair in a Vijay film before.
- On the sets of Aavi Kumar (2015), Devadarshini’s young son would call Manobala 'thatha' (grandfather) because he was always the one entertaining the kid between shots. Manobala later joked in an interview that he was 'the unpaid babysitter' for the entire shoot.
- Devadarshini once said in a 2019 interview: 'Manobala sir doesn't act with you — he listens to you. That's why our fights on screen feel real. He gives you space to breathe as a performer.'
14 films across 2 decades
The 2000s accounted for 2 films, averaging 5.0/10.
The 2010s accounted for 12 films, averaging 5.7/10.
- Kadhal Kirukkan
- 6'2
- Bigil
- Tenaliraman
The partnership in numbers
Partnership Pattern
14 films across 16 years represents consistent collaboration.
Language Distribution
Linguistic diversity: 1 language, with Tamil being their primary medium.
Where each was in their career
45% of Devadarshini's screen credits are with Manobala. When they first worked together, Manobala had 30 films behind them; Devadarshini had 0. After Bigil, Manobala kept going for 39 more films; Devadarshini stepped back.
Before Kadhal Kirukkan, Manobala had starred in 30 films, including Gopurangal Saivathillai (1982) and Puthiya Vaarpugal (1979).
After Bigil, Manobala went on to appear in 39 more films, including Irugapatru (2023) and Viduthalai: Part II (2024).
Kadhal Kirukkan was Devadarshini's acting debut.
After Bigil, Devadarshini went on to appear in 17 more films, including PT Sir (2024) and Meiyazhagan (2024).
Collaboration Journey
A chronological view of Manobala & Devadarshini's professional partnership
Actors and musicians who worked on most of their films
They worked with the same 7 people again and again — a small repertory company. Sriman appears alongside them in 5 films — practically a third lead.
5
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
Other iconic Tamil director-actor duos
Discover other partnerships with comparable filmographies and ratings
