M. S. Narayana & Ravi Babu Movies Together List — 6 Films

The shape of the work

The 2000s belonged to Soggadu; the 2010s to Mr. Pellikoduku. Ravi Babu director in some, actor in others. Strictly Telugu cinema — they never crossed industries together.

Partnership facts

• Ravi Babu was still finding his footing as a director when he cast M.S. Narayana in Soggadu (2005). Narayana was already a comedy legend. Ravi later admitted he was nervous directing him — but Narayana showed up on day one with zero ego and just asked, 'Evaru director? Nuvvana?' and cracked the whole set up.
• In Madhumasam (2007), Narayana played a drunkard who keeps interrupting the hero's romantic moments. Ravi Babu let Narayana improvise most of his lines. The result? Narayana's slurred 'Nuvvu naa kosam edustava?' became a meme in Andhra hostels for years.
• Ravi Babu and Narayana had a standing ritual: before every film's first shot, Narayana would make Ravi Babu laugh with a random mimicry. If Ravi didn't crack up, Narayana would say 'Inka set avvaledu' and walk off. Happened on every single one of their six films.
• Their film Mr. Pellikoduku (2013) directly launched the catchphrase 'Pelli ante ikkada nunchi' into Telugu pop culture. It was Narayana's improvised line during a wedding scene. Ravi Babu kept it in the final cut. You still hear it in Telugu weddings today.
• Ravi Babu once said in an interview: 'Narayana garu is the only actor who can make me forget my own script. I'd be watching him from the monitor and laughing so hard I'd miss the next shot. I stopped writing dialogues for him after Swagatham — I just wrote the situation and let him fly.'
• In Laddu Babu (2014), their last film together, Ravi Babu deliberately wrote a scene where Narayana's character had to react silently for two full minutes — just facial expressions. Narayana nailed it in one take. Ravi later told the crew: 'That's why I keep calling him back. He doesn't need words to steal a scene.'