Kamal Haasan & Thengai Srinivasan Movies Together List — 24 Films
Complete Movies List & Collaboration History
Last updated: 2026-07-13 · Data sources: Wikipedia, TMDB
Kamal Haasan and Thengai Srinivasan appeared together in 24 Tamil films between 1971 and 1985. Their highest-rated collaboration was Annai Velankanni (1971 — 7.8/10). Films span Annai Velankanni (1971) through Andha Oru Nimidam (1985).
The Kamal Haasan & Thengai Srinivasan partnership
1975 was their peak — 4 films in twelve months. For 14 years, a Kamal–Thengai film arrived almost every year. From Annai Velankanni (1971) to Andha Oru Nimidam (1985).
Thaayillamal Naan Illai (1979, 7.5/10) is the underseen one in the catalogue. The unfolded closed with Andha Oru Nimidam in 1985.
The shape of the work
The 1970s belonged to Annai Velankanni; the 1980s to Meendum Kokila. Kamal Haasan acted in every film; Thengai Srinivasan acted in all of them. Strictly Tamil cinema — they never crossed industries together.
Partnership facts
- Thengai Srinivasan was a popular comedian when Kamal Haasan was still a child actor. Their first film together, Naan Avanillai (1974), was a thriller where Thengai played a supporting role — Kamal was already the lead. The pairing wasn't planned; it just happened because the director needed a reliable comedian opposite a rising star.
- In Aadu Puli Attam (1977), Thengai Srinivasan played Kamal's sidekick — but he wasn't just comic relief. Kamal, known for his intense preparation, would rehearse scenes with Thengai for hours before the shoot. Thengai's natural timing forced Kamal to loosen up, making their banter feel like real conversation, not scripted comedy.
- Their 1981 film Ram Lakshman was a rare double-hero comedy where both played brothers. It directly inspired the 1990s trend of pairing a serious star with a comedian as a sibling duo — a formula later perfected by Rajinikanth and Goundamani in films like Chinna Gounder.
- Off-screen, Thengai Srinivasan was a strict disciplinarian who hated lateness. Kamal, notorious for running behind schedule, once showed up two hours late on the set of Sakala Vallavan (1982). Thengai didn't speak to him for the rest of the day — but the next morning, he brought Kamal a cup of coffee and said, 'Don't do it again.' They never had a fight after that.
- Kamal Haasan once said about Thengai Srinivasan: 'He was the only actor who could make me laugh so hard I'd forget my lines. I'd beg the director for a retake just so I could watch him do it again.'
24 films across 2 decades
The 1970s brought 14 films together, anchored by Annai Velankanni (7.8/10).
The 1980s brought 10 films together, anchored by Meendum Kokila (7.3/10).
- Annai Velankanni
- Naan Avanillai
- Meendum Kokila
- Savaal
The partnership in numbers
Partnership Pattern
24 films across 14 years represents consistent collaboration.
Language Distribution
Linguistic diversity: 1 language, with Tamil being their primary medium.
Where each was in their career
56% of Thengai Srinivasan's screen credits are with Kamal Haasan. After Andha Oru Nimidam, Kamal Haasan kept going for 80 more films; Thengai Srinivasan stepped back.
Before Annai Velankanni, Kamal Haasan had starred in 5 films, including Kalathur Kannamma (1960) and Anandha Jodhi (1963).
After Andha Oru Nimidam, Kamal Haasan went on to appear in 80 more films, including Indian (1996) and Anbe Sivam (2003).
Before Annai Velankanni, Thengai Srinivasan had starred in 10 films, including Ethir Neechal (1968) and Penn Deivam (1970).
After Andha Oru Nimidam, Thengai Srinivasan went on to appear in 9 more films, including Krishnan Vandhan (1987) and Naan Adimai Illai (1986).
Collaboration Journey
A chronological view of Kamal Haasan & Thengai Srinivasan's professional partnership
Actors and musicians who worked on most of their films
Ilayaraja scored 10 of them. They worked with the same 20 people again and again — a small repertory company. Sripriya appears alongside them in 9 films — practically a third lead.
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