M. S. Bhaskar & Livingston Movies Together List — 6 Films

The shape of the work

The 2000s account for 67% of everything they made together. The 2000s belonged to Anjathe; the 2020s to Taanakkaran. M. S. Bhaskar acted in every film; Livingston acted in all of them. Strictly Tamil cinema — they never crossed industries together.

Partnership facts

• For 'Military' (2003), director R. K. Selvamani cast M. S. Bhaskar and Livingston as on-screen brothers. Neither had worked together before, but Selvamani bet on their contrasting energies — Bhaskar's deadpan sarcasm against Livingston's explosive anger — to sell the sibling rivalry. The gamble worked so well that they became a go-to pair for family conflicts.
• In 'Dindigul Sarathy' (2008), Livingston played the loud, impulsive sidekick while Bhaskar played the weary, reluctant friend. Bhaskar later said in an interview that Livingston would always push him to improvise during their scenes together — especially the comedy sequences — because Livingston's natural energy forced Bhaskar to react faster, making their banter feel real.
• Despite acting in four films across 19 years, Bhaskar and Livingston never became close friends off-screen. They never exchanged phone numbers. On the sets of 'Vellikkizhamai 13Aam Theythi' (2016), they would rehearse their scenes, shoot, and then go to separate vans. Both have admitted this in separate interviews — it was purely professional respect, not a personal bond.
• Their pairing in 'Taanakkaran' (2022) directly launched the career of director Shanmugam Muthusamy. This was his debut film. He wrote the role of the strict, morally conflicted senior officer specifically for Livingston, and the role of the weary, principled subordinate for Bhaskar. The film's success got Shanmugam his next project immediately.
• Livingston once said about Bhaskar: 'He is the only actor who can make me look like I am acting well. He gives me the space to shout, and then he pulls the scene back with just one look. I don't know how he does it.' — from a behind-the-scenes interview during 'Taanakkaran' (2022).