 His first major role was in Balu Mahendra's "Raman Abdullah" (1997), while his roles in films including "Thulladha Manamum Thullum" (1999), "Gemini" (2002) and Mani Ratnam's "Raavanan" (2010) also garnered him acclaim.In December 1986, Vaiyapuri moved from his hometown of Theni to Chennai hoping to become an actor in the Tamil film industry.Unable to immediately get a chance in films because of his skinny physical stature, Vaiyapuri's first break came through television serials on Doordarshan, where he notably worked on an adaptation of Sujatha's "Kolaiyuthir Kalam".