Venniradai Moorthy & Major Sundarrajan Movies Together List — 7 Films
Complete Movies List & Collaboration History
Last updated: 2026-06-05 · Data sources: Wikipedia, TMDB
Venniradai Moorthy and Major Sundarrajan appeared together in 7 Tamil films between 1966 and 2000. Their highest-rated collaboration was Raja Rishi (1985 — 6.5/10). Films span Thenmazhai (1966) through Athey Manithan (2000).
The Venniradai Moorthy & Major Sundarrajan partnership
After 9 years apart, they came back together for Ullasa Paravaigal (1980). Their work runs across 5 decades of Tamil cinema. They didn't share a set between 1971 and 1980.
From Thenmazhai (1966) to Athey Manithan (2000). The played out closed with Athey Manithan in 2000.
The shape of the work
The 1960s belonged to Thenmazhai; the 2000s to Athey Manithan. Venniradai Moorthy acted in every film; Major Sundarrajan acted in all of them. Strictly Tamil cinema — they never crossed industries together.
Partnership facts
- Justice Viswanathan (1971) was their first film together, but it almost didn't happen. Major Sundarrajan was a stage actor with zero film experience. Venniradai Moorthy, already a busy character actor, personally recommended him to director A. C. Tirulokchandar after seeing him in a play. Sundarrajan got the role on Moorthy's word alone.
- In Raja Rishi (1985), Moorthy played the comic sidekick to Sundarrajan's sage. The trick? Sundarrajan delivered every line with deadpan gravity, while Moorthy undercut him with quick, whispered asides. They never stepped on each other's beats — Sundarrajan set the rhythm, Moorthy filled the gaps.
- Moorthy and Sundarrajan were neighbours in Chennai's Mylapore for over 20 years. They'd walk to the studio together for every shoot, even when they weren't in the same film. Sundarrajan's son says they'd argue about cricket scores all the way there, then switch to perfect professionalism the moment they entered the gate.
- Anandha Kanneer (1986) was the only film where they played direct antagonists — Moorthy as the cruel father, Sundarrajan as the compassionate doctor. That clash of styles directly inspired director K. Balachander to cast them together again in a TV serial years later, though that project never materialized.
- Major Sundarrajan once told a magazine: 'Moorthy is the only actor who can make me laugh between takes and cry in the next shot. I don't know how he does it. I just follow his lead.'
7 films across 5 decades
The 1960s accounted for 1 film.
The 1970s accounted for 1 film.
The 1980s accounted for 3 films, averaging 6.5/10.
The 1990s accounted for 1 film.
The 2000s accounted for 1 film, averaging 1.0/10.
- Thenmazhai0
- Justice Viswanathan0
- Raja Rishi
- Ullasa Paravaigal0
- Urimai Oonjaladugiradhu0
- Athey Manithan
The partnership in numbers
Partnership Pattern
7 films across 34 years represents consistent collaboration.
Language Distribution
Linguistic diversity: 1 language, with Tamil being their primary medium.
Where each was in their career
64% of Major Sundarrajan's screen credits are with Venniradai Moorthy. After Athey Manithan, Venniradai Moorthy kept going for 26 more films; Major Sundarrajan stepped back.
Before Thenmazhai, Venniradai Moorthy had starred in 1 film, including Vennira Aadai (1965).
After Athey Manithan, Venniradai Moorthy went on to appear in 26 more films, including Vedham (2001) and Thamizh Padam (2010).
Before Thenmazhai, Major Sundarrajan had starred in 4 films, including Server Sundaram (1964) and Neerkumizhi (1965).
Collaboration Journey
A chronological view of Venniradai Moorthy & Major Sundarrajan's professional partnership
Actors and musicians who worked on most of their films
Lakshmi appears alongside them in 3 films — practically a third lead.
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