One of the most versatile and sought-after character actors in contemporary Malayalam cinema, Vinayakan made his feature film debut in the 1995 Mohanlal starrer Maanthrikam, and has since appeared in over 40 films in a career spanning over two decades. Some of his most memorable performances have come in films like Ivar (2003), Best Actor (2010), Iyobinte Pusthakam (2014) and Kammatipaadam (2016), the last of which won Vinayakan the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor that year. Besides Mollywood, he has also appeared in a handful of movies in Kollywood and Bollywood, notably the 2005 action drama James and the 2013 survival drama Maryan. Other significant acting credits include Big B (2007), Njan Steve Lopez (2014), Kali (2016), Ee.Ma.Yau (2017) and Aadu 2 (2017). His 2018 release include Swathanthriyam ArdhaRathriyil.