Nagesh made his debut with Manamulla Marudhaaram in 1958. His first major break was in 1962 when he starred in Nenjil which made him a household name. He has acted in more than 1000 Movies and was felicitated with the Nammavar Tamil Nadu State Government Award. He made his last appearance in the movie Dasavathaaram and passed away on January 31, 2009.