Thilak began his career in the Tamil film industry as an assistant editor at
AVM Studios and had worked on 24 films. He began experimenting as an actor through appearances in
Major Sundarrajan's drama troupe. Thilak went on to act in over 70 films, including
Thayilla Kuzhandhai (1976),
Per Solla Oru Pillai (1978) and
Aarilirunthu Arubathu Varai (1979), often appearing as arrogant villainous characters. In the latter, he portrayed the son of
T. K. Bhagavathi's character, who ill treats the character portrayed by
Rajinikanth. He garnered acclaim for his role in Sundarrajan's
Kalthoon (1981), featuring as the son of
Sivaji Ganesan and
K. R. Vijaya's characters. In the 2010s, he worked as an actor in Tamil television serials. == Filmography ==