Santhanam & Manobala Movies Together List — 22 Films

The shape of the work

The 2010s account for 64% of everything they made together. The 2000s belonged to Kireedam; the 2020s to Kick. Santhanam acted in every film; Manobala acted in all of them.

Partnership facts

• Manobala didn't just direct Santhanam in 'Thalaivaa' (2013) — he actually convinced the producers to cast Santhanam as the comedian when the team was leaning towards a bigger name. Santhanam later said that call changed his career trajectory.
• On the sets of 'Mappilai Vinayagar' (2015), Manobala let Santhanam rewrite his own comedy lines on the spot. Santhanam would pace around the set, muttering dialogues, and Manobala would just nod and say 'adhu dhaan correct' — that loose trust became their working style.
• The success of 'Dagaalty' (2020) — a surprise hit during the pandemic — directly led to Santhanam producing his own films. He told a press meet that Manobala's faith in that script made him believe he could back projects himself.
• Manobala and Santhanam had a standing ritual: before every film's first day shoot, they'd share a single cup of filter coffee at the same small shop near the set. They did this for all six films, even when schedules were tight.
• Santhanam once said in an interview: 'Manobala sir is the only director who lets me fail on screen. He knows I'll fix it in the next take. That freedom is why I keep coming back.'
• In 'Kick' (2023), Manobala deliberately shot Santhanam's comedy scenes in long, unbroken takes — no cuts. He wanted the audience to see Santhanam's timing in real time, not edited. That film became Santhanam's highest-grossing solo release at the time.