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3 Films Together
3 films·1988–2001·Top Music Composer: Ilayaraja (1 films)·Top co-star: Manisha Koirala (2 films)

Kamal Haasan & Suresh Krishna Movies Together List — 3 Films

Complete Movies List & Collaboration History

Last updated: 2026-06-03 · Data sources: Wikipedia, TMDB

Kamal Haasan and Suresh Krishna appeared together in 3 Tamil films between 1988 and 2001. Their highest-rated collaboration was Aalavandhan (2001 — 5.9/10). Films span Sathya (1988) through Aalavandhan (2001).

3
Films Together
5.1
Average Rating
1988 - 2001
Career Span
Tamil
Primary Language
Credibility
Career Phase
Active×Active

The Kamal Haasan & Suresh Krishna partnership

After 13 years apart, they came back together for Abhay (2001). They didn't share a set between 1988 and 2001. From Sathya (1988) to Aalavandhan (2001).

It started with Sathya (1988). The played out closed with Aalavandhan in 2001.

The shape of the work

The 1980s belonged to Sathya; the 2000s to Aalavandhan. Kamal Haasan acted in every film; Suresh Krishna directed all of them.

Partnership facts

  • Kamal Haasan personally chose Suresh Krishna to direct Sathya (1988) after being impressed by his short film. The director was just 24 and had never made a feature before.
  • On the sets of Sathya, Kamal would rewrite entire scenes the night before shooting, and Suresh Krishna would then storyboard them in a single take. That's why the film has that raw, live-wire energy.
  • Sathya (1988) launched the trend of 'realistic gangster' films in Tamil cinema. Every major Tamil gangster film after it — from Nayakan to Vada Chennai — owes a debt to the raw, handheld style Suresh Krishna and Kamal invented together.
  • After Sathya, Suresh Krishna became Kamal's go-to director for experimental projects. Kamal trusted him enough to hand over Aalavandhan (2001) — a psychological thriller with split-screen and animation — because he knew Suresh would never say 'that's too weird'.
  • Suresh Krishna once said in an interview: 'Kamal sir doesn't just act — he directs the director. On Sathya, he taught me how to frame a shot for maximum impact. I learned more in those 40 days than in film school.'
  • For Aalavandhan (2001), Kamal insisted on shooting the entire film in sync sound — no dubbing. Suresh Krishna had to direct actors to speak at a specific rhythm so the sound mixer could catch every breath. It made the film feel claustrophobic and real.

3 films across 2 decades

The 1980s accounted for 1 film, averaging 4.3/10.

The 2000s accounted for 2 films, averaging 5.9/10.

1980s
Films1
Avg Rating4.3/10
Notable:
  • Sathya(4.3)
Era:
Kamal: ActiveSuresh: Active
2000s
Films2
Avg Rating5.9/10
Notable:
  • Aalavandhan(5.9)
  • Abhay0
Era:
Kamal: ActiveSuresh: Active

The partnership in numbers

Partnership Pattern

Duration19882001
Span13 years
Avg Interval~7 years

3 films across 13 years represents consistent collaboration.

Language Distribution

Tamil
2 films (67%)
Hindi
1 film (33%)

Linguistic diversity: 2 languages, with Tamil being their primary medium.

Where each was in their career

When they first worked together, Kamal Haasan had 127 films behind them; Suresh Krishna had 0. After Aalavandhan, Kamal Haasan kept going for 36 more films; Suresh Krishna stepped back.

Kamal Haasan

Before Sathya, Kamal Haasan had starred in 127 films, including Enakkul Oruvan (1984) and Enakkul Oruvan (1984).

After Aalavandhan, Kamal Haasan went on to appear in 36 more films, including Anbe Sivam (2003) and Vikram (2022).

Suresh Krishna

Sathya was Suresh Krishna's directorial debut.

After Aalavandhan, Suresh Krishna went on to direct 9 more films, including Raghavendra (2003) and Baba (2002).

Frequently asked questions