Karunakaran & Kaali Venkat Movies Together List — 6 Films
Complete Movies List & Collaboration History
Last updated: 2026-07-12 · Data sources: Wikipedia, TMDB
Karunakaran and Kaali Venkat appeared together in 6 Tamil films between 2012 and 2026. Their highest-rated collaboration was Ratsasan (2018 — 7.9/10). Films span Kalakalappu (2012) through Gatta Kusthi 2 (2026).
The Karunakaran & Kaali Venkat partnership
From Kalakalappu (2012) to Gatta Kusthi 2 (2026). The work is uneven: Ratsasan (7.9) at one end, Gatta Kusthi 2 (0.5) at the other. Iraivi (2016, 7.6/10) is the underseen one in the catalogue.
Their most recent film, Gatta Kusthi 2, came out in 2026 — the partnership is still active. Ratsasan is the one most viewers reach for.
The shape of the work
The 2010s account for 67% of everything they made together. The 2010s belonged to Ratsasan; the 2020s to Double Tuckerr. Karunakaran acted in every film; Kaali Venkat acted in all of them. Strictly Tamil cinema — they never crossed industries together.
Partnership facts
- Karunakaran and Kaali Venkat first met on the set of Iraivi (2016). Director Karthik Subbaraj specifically paired them as the two comic-relief friends — a move that turned both from side players into scene-stealers.
- In Iraivi, Karunakaran played the nervous, fast-talking sidekick while Kaali Venkat played the deadpan, slow-burn foil. They built a rhythm where one rushed and the other dragged — and that push-pull became their signature.
- Their double-act in Ratsasan (2018) — as the hero's goofy roommates — became so popular that the film's comedy track was directly referenced in later Tamil comedies. A whole generation of memes started from their 'kadhal kadal' banter.
- After Enakku Vaitha Adimaigal (2017) bombed hard, both actors told each other they'd only work together again if the script was airtight. That promise led them straight into Ratsasan — their biggest hit together.
- Kaali Venkat once said in an interview: 'Karunakaran is the only actor who can make me laugh even when the scene is serious. I have to look away so I don't break character.'
6 films across 2 decades
The 2010s brought 4 films together, anchored by Ratsasan (7.9/10).
The 2020s accounted for 2 films, averaging 2.8/10.
- Ratsasan
- Iraivi
- Double Tuckerr
- Gatta Kusthi 2
The partnership in numbers
Partnership Pattern
6 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
100% of Karunakaran's screen credits are with Kaali Venkat.
Kalakalappu was Karunakaran's acting debut.
Before Kalakalappu, Kaali Venkat had starred in 3 films, including Mouna Guru (2011) and Va (2010).
Collaboration Journey
A chronological view of Karunakaran & Kaali Venkat's professional partnership
Actors and musicians who worked on most of their films
Anjali is the through-line — cast on 3 of their 6 films. Anjali appears alongside them in 3 films — practically a third lead.
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