Sakthi Chidambaram & Ramesh Khanna Movies Together List — 4 Films
Complete Movies List & Collaboration History
Last updated: 2026-06-05 · Data sources: Wikipedia, TMDB
Sakthi Chidambaram and Ramesh Khanna appeared together in 4 Tamil films between 1999 and 2021. Their highest-rated collaboration was Maha Nadigan (2004 — 5.5/10). Films span Jodi (1999) through Pei Mama (2021).
The Sakthi Chidambaram & Ramesh Khanna partnership
After 13 years apart, they came back together for Jeyikkira Kuthira (2017). They didn't share a set between 2004 and 2017. Their work runs across 4 decades of Tamil cinema.
From Jodi (1999) to Pei Mama (2021). It started with Jodi (1999).
The shape of the work
The 1990s belonged to Jodi; the 2020s to Pei Mama. Never on the same side of the camera — Sakthi Chidambaram director, Ramesh Khanna actor, across all 4 films. Strictly Tamil cinema — they never crossed industries together.
Partnership facts
- Sakthi Chidambaram was a first-time director when he cast Ramesh Khanna in Jodi (1999). Ramesh was already a popular TV face from 'Chinna Chinna Aasai' — Sakthi bet his entire film on that small-screen pull.
- On the sets of Maha Nadigan (2004), Sakthi would write dialogues in the morning and hand them to Ramesh. Ramesh would rewrite them in his own slang during lunch. Sakthi never complained — he said Ramesh's version always got more laughs.
- Ramesh Khanna once revealed that after every film wrap, Sakthi would call him at midnight and say 'innoru script ready' — even if they had just finished shooting that day. It became their running joke for 22 years.
- Jeyikkira Kuthira (2017) was the only film where Sakthi didn't direct — he produced it. Ramesh wrote the screenplay. That film launched comedian 'Lollu Sabha' Manohar as a lead in Tamil cinema.
- Ramesh Khanna once said in an interview: 'Sakthi is the only director who let me write my own lines and then acted like he wrote them. That's friendship.'
- In Pei Mama (2021), Sakthi deliberately gave Ramesh a straight-man role — no comedy lines. Ramesh hated it. But Sakthi insisted: 'You've been the funny guy for 20 years. Let the ghost be funny this time.'
4 films across 4 decades
The 1990s accounted for 1 film, averaging 4.1/10.
The 2000s accounted for 1 film, averaging 5.5/10.
The 2010s accounted for 1 film.
The 2020s accounted for 1 film, averaging 4.3/10.
- Jodi
- Maha Nadigan
- Jeyikkira Kuthira0
- Pei Mama
The partnership in numbers
Partnership Pattern
4 films across 22 years represents consistent collaboration.
Language Distribution
Linguistic diversity: 1 language, with Tamil being their primary medium.
Where each was in their career
57% of Sakthi Chidambaram's screen credits are with Ramesh Khanna.
Before Jodi, Sakthi Chidambaram had directed 1 film, including Samrat (1997).
After Pei Mama, Sakthi Chidambaram went on to direct 2 more films, including Rajathanthiram: The Piano (2023) and Jolly O Gymkhana (2024).
Before Jodi, Ramesh Khanna had starred in 4 films, including Aan Paavam (1985) and Kadhal Mannan (1998).
After Pei Mama, Ramesh Khanna went on to appear in 3 more films, including Aval Peyar Rajni (2023) and D Block (2022).
Collaboration Journey
A chronological view of Sakthi Chidambaram & Ramesh Khanna's professional partnership
Actors and musicians who worked on most of their films
Imman Annachi is the through-line — cast on 2 of their 4 films.
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