Bitten by the Film bug and also by the fact that his brother in law TNR acted in and as “Kalamegham” (1940) Pillai also tried his hand at films, announced the making of the film in 1941, “Kathavarayan”. His heroine in the film was to be Clara @ Chandra @ Madhuri Devi (of “Mandhiri Kumari” fame in which the song “vaaraai nee vaaraai” occurs). This was shelved half way and a solitary shot of Pillai in the garb of snake charmer playing the magudi. Luckily for him, he did not sink much of his funds and withdrew from the venture in time.

But prior to this, Pillai had made his appearance on screen in two films. The first was in 1936, Sundarrai Nadkarni film “Raja Bhakti” or “Rakshasi Mahatvakanksha” made at Sundaram Sound Studio. Then in 1937 he appeared again in K. Subramanyam’s “Mr. Ammanji” which was one of the two films of K. Subramanyam which was screened together, the other being “Kausalya Parinayam”