Manorama & Sridevi Movies Together List — 7 Films
Complete Movies List & Collaboration History
Last updated: 2026-07-13 · Data sources: Wikipedia, TMDB
Manorama and Sridevi appeared together in 7 Tamil films between 1978 and 1986. Their highest-rated collaboration was Manidharil Ithanai Nirangala (1978 — 7.8/10). Films span Manidharil Ithanai Nirangala (1978) through Naan Adimai Illai (1986).
The Manorama & Sridevi partnership
Between 1978 and 1986, they barely worked apart — 7 films in 8 years. 1978 was their peak — 3 films in twelve months. For 8 years, a Manorama–Sridevi film arrived almost every year.
From Manidharil Ithanai Nirangala (1978) to Naan Adimai Illai (1986). Vazhvey Maayam (1982, 7.5/10) is the underseen one in the catalogue.
The shape of the work
The 1970s belonged to Manidharil Ithanai Nirangala; the 1980s to Vazhvey Maayam. Manorama acted in every film; Sridevi acted in all of them. Strictly Tamil cinema — they never crossed industries together.
Partnership facts
- Manorama was the one who pushed for Sridevi to be cast in 'Manidharil Ithanai Nirangala' (1978). The director was hesitant about a child actress, but Manorama insisted she had the intensity for the role. That film became Sridevi's first major Tamil hit.
- In 'Pokkiri Raja' (1982), Manorama played the comic sidekick while Sridevi was the romantic lead. Manorama deliberately slowed her delivery in every scene with Sridevi, giving the younger actress space to land her punchlines. Sridevi later said Manorama 'taught me how to share a frame without stealing it.'
- On the sets of 'Adutha Varisu' (1983), Manorama would cook Sridevi's favourite Kerala-style fish curry in her vanity van between shots. Sridevi, then a teenager away from home, called her 'Amma' on set. They stayed close until Manorama's death in 2015.
- Their pairing in 'Mudisooda Mannan' (1978) directly inspired director K. Balachander to cast them together again in 'Pilot Premnath' the same year. Balachander said he wanted 'that same mother-daughter tension' for the film's emotional core.
- Manorama once told a magazine: 'Sridevi was a child when we started. I had to teach her how to cry on cue. By 'Naan Adimai Illai' (1986), she was teaching me.'
7 films across 2 decades
The 1970s brought 3 films together, anchored by Manidharil Ithanai Nirangala (7.8/10).
The 1980s brought 4 films together, anchored by Vazhvey Maayam (7.5/10).
- Manidharil Ithanai Nirangala
- Pilot Premnath
- Vazhvey Maayam
- Pokkiri Raja
The partnership in numbers
Partnership Pattern
7 films across 8 years represents consistent collaboration.
Language Distribution
Linguistic diversity: 1 language, with Tamil being their primary medium.
Where each was in their career
When they first worked together, Manorama had 86 films behind them; Sridevi had 8. After Naan Adimai Illai, Manorama kept going for 121 more films; Sridevi stepped back.
Before Manidharil Ithanai Nirangala, Manorama had starred in 86 films, including Server Sundaram (1964) and Muhammad bin Tughluq (1971).
After Naan Adimai Illai, Manorama went on to appear in 121 more films, including Indian (1996) and Nadigan (1990).
Before Manidharil Ithanai Nirangala, Sridevi had starred in 8 films, including Padhinaru Vayadhiniley (1977) and Moondru Mudichu (1976).
After Naan Adimai Illai, Sridevi went on to appear in 44 more films, including English Vinglish (2012) and Mom (2017).
Collaboration Journey
A chronological view of Manorama & Sridevi's professional partnership
Actors and musicians who worked on most of their films
Ilayaraja scored 3 of them. Rajinikanth appears alongside them in 3 films — practically a third lead.
3
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
2
3
2
2Other iconic Tamil director-actor duos
Discover other partnerships with comparable filmographies and ratings
Manobala
Yuvan Shankar Raja
Santhosh Narayanan
Yogi Babu
Thambi Ramaiah
Nayantara
Ganja KaruppuYuvan Shankar Raja
Sam C. S.
Santhanam
Anthony