Manobala & Crane Manohar Movies Together List — 4 Films
Complete Movies List & Collaboration History
Last updated: 2026-07-12 · Data sources: Wikipedia, TMDB
Manobala and Crane Manohar appeared together in 4 Tamil films between 2003 and 2017. Their highest-rated collaboration was Aethiree (2004 — 7.2/10). Films span Diwan (2003) through 465 - Naalu Aaru Anju (2017).
The Manobala & Crane Manohar partnership
After 12 years apart, they came back together for Andaman (2016). They didn't share a set between 2004 and 2016. From Diwan (2003) to 465 - Naalu Aaru Anju (2017).
Aethiree is the one most viewers reach for. It started with Diwan (2003).
The shape of the work
The 2000s belonged to Aethiree; the 2010s to Andaman. Manobala acted in every film; Crane Manohar acted in all of them. Strictly Tamil cinema — they never crossed industries together.
Partnership facts
- Manobala cast Crane Manohar in Diwan (2003) after seeing him operate a real crane on a film set. Manohar wasn't an actor yet — he was literally a crane operator. Manobala told him to just 'be himself' in front of the camera.
- In Andaman (2016), Manobala deliberately gave Crane Manohar no dialogue for the first half of the film. He wanted Manohar's physical presence — his size and stillness — to build tension before he ever spoke a word. Manohar later said that silence was harder than any line.
- Manobala and Crane Manohar had a standing ritual: before every shoot day on 465 - Naalu Aaru Anju (2017), they would share a single cup of tea from the same roadside stall near the set. Manohar said it was their 'good luck chai' and they never broke the habit across all three films.
- Crane Manohar once said about Manobala: 'He didn't teach me acting. He taught me to stop acting. That's harder.' He said this in a 2018 interview about their Diwan experience.
- The success of their first collaboration, Diwan (2003), directly led to Crane Manohar being cast in a string of villain roles in the mid-2000s. Before Manobala put him on screen, Manohar was only known as a crane operator. After Diwan, directors started calling him specifically for 'heavy' antagonist parts.
4 films across 2 decades
The 2000s brought 2 films together, anchored by Aethiree (7.2/10).
The 2010s accounted for 2 films.
- Aethiree
- Diwan0
- Andaman0
- 465 - Naalu Aaru Anju0
The partnership in numbers
Partnership Pattern
4 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
After 465 - Naalu Aaru Anju, Manobala kept going for 66 more films; Crane Manohar stepped back. By the time of Diwan, both already had careers — Manobala with 30 films, Crane Manohar with 15.
Before Diwan, Manobala had starred in 30 films, including Gopurangal Saivathillai (1982) and Puthiya Vaarpugal (1979).
After 465 - Naalu Aaru Anju, Manobala went on to appear in 66 more films, including Kaatrin Mozhi (2018) and Irugapatru (2023).
Before Diwan, Crane Manohar had starred in 15 films, including Friends (2001) and Muthu (1995).
After 465 - Naalu Aaru Anju, Crane Manohar went on to appear in 11 more films, including Boat (2024) and Idiot (2022).
Collaboration Journey
A chronological view of Manobala & Crane Manohar's professional partnership
Actors and musicians who worked on most of their films
People who worked on Manobala & Crane Manohar's films together
Other iconic Tamil director-actor duos
Discover other partnerships with comparable filmographies and ratings
