M.K.T. made his début in the 1934 film Pavalakodi; in all, he appeared in 14 movies before he died.
Followers of the Dravidian movement, such as C. N. Annadurai (the founder of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) political party and Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu), tried to entice him to their fold, but because of his convictions, M.K.T. remained apolitical and a staunch bhakta until his death.