Manivannan & Sundar C. Movies Together List — 9 Films
Complete Movies List & Collaboration History
Last updated: 2026-07-13 · Data sources: Wikipedia, TMDB
Manivannan and Sundar C. appeared together in 9 Tamil films between 1995 and 2025. Their highest-rated collaboration was Rendu (2006 — 6.8/10). Films span Murai Mappillai (1995) through Madha Gaja Raja (2025).
The Manivannan & Sundar C. partnership
After 11 years apart, they came back together for Madha Gaja Raja (2017). They didn't share a set between 2006 and 2017. Their work runs across 4 decades of Tamil cinema.
From Murai Mappillai (1995) to Madha Gaja Raja (2025). Their most recent film, Madha Gaja Raja, came out in 2025 — the partnership is still active.
The shape of the work
The 1990s belonged to Naam Iruvar Namakku Iruvar; the 2020s to Madha Gaja Raja. Manivannan acted in every film; Sundar C. directed all of them. Strictly Tamil cinema — they never crossed industries together.
Partnership facts
- Sundar C. was a struggling assistant director when Manivannan cast him as the lead in 'Janakiraman' (1997). That film flopped hard, but Manivannan refused to drop him — he said Sundar had 'the face of a common man' and kept casting him.
- On the sets of 'Unnai Kann Theduthey' (2000), Manivannan would deliberately give Sundar C. the wrong dialogue sheet before a take. Sundar had to improvise on the spot. Manivannan told a magazine later: 'I wanted him to stop acting and start reacting.'
- The success of 'Rendu' (2006) directly led to Sundar C. directing his first solo hit 'Kalakalappu' (2012). Manivannan had pushed him to write his own comedy scenes for Rendu, and Sundar later said that experience taught him how to pace a commercial entertainer.
- Manivannan and Sundar C. had a standing bet on every film: if the movie ran for 100 days, Sundar had to buy Manivannan a bottle of Old Monk rum. If it flopped, Manivannan paid. Sundar lost on 'Janakiraman' but won on every film after that.
- Sundar C. once said in an interview: 'Manivannan sir never let me feel like a hero. He treated me like a co-actor. That's why I never got an ego — he broke me down and built me up in every film.'
- Their unfinished film 'Madha Gaja Raja' (2017) was shelved after Manivannan's sudden death. Sundar C. later said he couldn't bring himself to complete it with another director — the script was written specifically for Manivannan's rhythm of comedy.
9 films across 4 decades
The 1990s accounted for 3 films, averaging 3.5/10.
The 2000s accounted for 4 films, averaging 6.0/10.
The 2010s accounted for 1 film.
The 2020s accounted for 1 film, averaging 4.0/10.
- Naam Iruvar Namakku Iruvar
- Janakiraman
- Rendu
- Unnai Kann Theduthey
- Madha Gaja Raja0
- Madha Gaja Raja
The partnership in numbers
Partnership Pattern
9 films across 30 years represents consistent collaboration.
Language Distribution
Linguistic diversity: 1 language, with Tamil being their primary medium.
Where each was in their career
100% of Sundar C.'s screen credits are with Manivannan. When they first worked together, Manivannan had 40 films behind them; Sundar C. had 0.
Before Murai Mappillai, Manivannan had starred in 40 films, including Nizhalgal (1980) and Thai Maaman (1994).
Murai Mappillai was Sundar C.'s directorial debut.
Collaboration Journey
A chronological view of Manivannan & Sundar C.'s professional partnership
Actors and musicians who worked on most of their films
Senthil is the through-line — cast on 5 of their 9 films. Senthil appears alongside them in 5 films — practically a third lead.
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