Manobala & Ashvin Raja Movies Together List — 5 Films

The shape of the work

Manobala acted in every film; Ashvin Raja acted in all of them. Strictly Tamil cinema — they never crossed industries together.

Partnership facts

• Manobala didn't just cast Ashvin Raja in Sillunu Oru Sandhippu (2013) — he rewrote the entire lead character after meeting him. The original script had a different hero in mind, but Manobala felt Ashvin's energy was perfect for a younger, more restless lover.
• On the sets of Kanithan (2016), Manobala would let Ashvin improvise entire stretches of dialogue. Ashvin once said Manobala's only direction was 'just be yourself, but louder' — and that raw, unpolished energy became the film's selling point.
• After Virumandikum Sivanadikum (2016) flopped, Manobala called Ashvin and said, 'We're not done yet. Let's make something so mad it works.' That phone call directly led to Motta Shiva Ketta Shiva (2017) — their most chaotic film together.
• Motta Shiva Ketta Shiva (2017) was the first Tamil film to feature a full-length rap song as a narrative device — not just a background track. The song 'Motta Shiva' became a meme template on Tamil social media for years after.
• Ashvin Raja once told a behind-the-scenes interviewer: 'Manobala sir doesn't direct actors. He just removes their fear. After one film with him, I stopped being scared of bad takes.'
• Manobala first spotted Ashvin Raja at a dubbing studio in 2012 — Ashvin was voicing a minor character for another director. Manobala walked up mid-session and said, 'You have a face that lies. I need that for my next film.' That was the start of Sillunu Oru Sandhippu.