Sumithra & Devaraj Mohan Movies Together List — 3 Films

The shape of the work

The 1970s belonged to Kanmani Raja; the 1980s to Kannil Theriyum Kadhaigal. Sumithra acted in every film; Devaraj Mohan directed all of them. Strictly Tamil cinema — they never crossed industries together.

Partnership facts

• Sumithra was already a star when she signed Kanmani Raja (1974). Devaraj Mohan was a newcomer. She personally asked the director to cast him after seeing his screen test — she felt he had the right 'innocent intensity' for her character's love interest.
• On the sets of Chittu Kuruvi (1978), Sumithra would quietly rewrite her own lines to make Devaraj Mohan's character look stronger. She told the director she didn't want to 'overshadow' him — but he later admitted her edits actually made both their scenes more balanced.
• During the shoot of Kannil Theriyum Kadhaigal (1980), Sumithra and Devaraj Mohan developed a ritual: before every emotional scene, they'd sit silently for two minutes, holding hands. The crew knew not to disturb them. Neither ever explained why.
• Their pairing in Kanmani Raja (1974) directly inspired director K. Balachander to cast a similar 'experienced heroine + fresh hero' combo in his next film — which launched Rajinikanth opposite Srividya. Balachander later said he 'borrowed the template' from Sumithra and Devaraj Mohan's first film.
• Devaraj Mohan once told a magazine: 'Sumithra taught me how to cry on camera. She would whisper a sad story in my ear just before the shot — and I would cry real tears. She never told me the same story twice.'