Jagapathi Babu & Sunil Movies Together List — 3 Films
Complete Movies List & Collaboration History
Last updated: 2026-06-05 · Data sources: Wikipedia, TMDB
Jagapathi Babu and Sunil appeared together in 3 Telugu films between 2004 and 2021. Their highest-rated collaboration was Pushpa (The Rise Part-01) (2021 — 7.6/10). Films span Athade Oka Sainyam (2004) through Pushpa (The Rise Part-01) (2021).
The Jagapathi Babu & Sunil partnership
After 14 years apart, they came back together for Aravindha Sametha (2018). They didn't share a set between 2004 and 2018. Their work runs across 3 decades of Telugu cinema.
From Athade Oka Sainyam (2004) to Pushpa (The Rise Part-01) (2021). Pushpa (The Rise Part-01) is the one most viewers reach for.
The shape of the work
The 2000s belonged to Athade Oka Sainyam; the 2020s to Pushpa (The Rise Part-01). Jagapathi Babu acted in every film; Sunil acted in all of them. Strictly Telugu cinema — they never crossed industries together.
Partnership facts
- Sunil was a full-time comedian when they first worked together in Athade Oka Sainyam (2004). Jagapathi Babu was the established lead. That film’s director, E. Satti Babu, deliberately paired them to give Sunil a bigger role than his usual sidekick parts — it was Sunil’s first real break into a supporting character with a proper arc.
- In Aravindha Sametha (2018), Jagapathi Babu played the cold-blooded villain Basi Reddy. Sunil played his loyal but conflicted henchman. The tension in their scenes came from a real offscreen dynamic: Jagapathi Babu deliberately stayed in character between takes, refusing to chat or joke with Sunil, so Sunil’s on-screen nervousness was genuine.
- Their third film together, Pushpa (2021), directly led to Sunil being cast as the main antagonist in the sequel Pushpa 2. Jagapathi Babu’s character was killed off in Part 1, but his intense face-off with Sunil in the climax convinced director Sukumar to expand Sunil’s role into the franchise’s primary villain.
- Despite playing enemies in two of their three films, Jagapathi Babu and Sunil are close friends off-screen. Sunil has said Jagapathi Babu was the first senior actor who treated him as an equal on set, not as a comedian. They still call each other before every major career move.
- Sunil once said in an interview: 'Jagapathi Babu gaaru is the reason I stopped being scared of serious roles. He told me, “You’re not a comedian. You’re an actor who happens to be funny.” That changed everything for me.'
3 films across 3 decades
The 2000s accounted for 1 film, averaging 6.5/10.
The 2010s accounted for 1 film.
The 2020s brought 1 film together, anchored by Pushpa (The Rise Part-01) (7.6/10).
- Athade Oka Sainyam
- Aravindha Sametha0
- Pushpa (The Rise Part-01)
The partnership in numbers
Partnership Pattern
3 films across 17 years represents consistent collaboration.
Language Distribution
Linguistic diversity: 1 language, with Telugu being their primary medium.
Where each was in their career
By the time of Athade Oka Sainyam, both already had careers — Jagapathi Babu with 25 films, Sunil with 18.
Before Athade Oka Sainyam, Jagapathi Babu had starred in 25 films, including Money Money (1995) and Kabaddi Kabaddi (2003).
After Pushpa (The Rise Part-01), Jagapathi Babu went on to appear in 8 more films, including Salaar (2023) and Kalki 2898 AD (2024).
Before Athade Oka Sainyam, Sunil had starred in 18 films, including Gangotri (2003) and Ela Cheppanu (2003).
After Pushpa (The Rise Part-01), Sunil went on to appear in 14 more films, including Maaveeran (2023) and Jailer (2023).
Collaboration Journey
A chronological view of Jagapathi Babu & Sunil's professional partnership
Actors and musicians who worked on most of their films
Prakash Raj is the through-line — cast on 2 of their 3 films.
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