In the course of a career spanning around two decades, Samuthirakani has underlined his versatility both as a National Award winning actor and State Award winning filmmaker. The former law graduate started out in showbiz as an assistant director in 1997, and subsequently got his first big break when his critically acclaimed directorial Unnai Charanadaindhen (2003) also won him the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Story Writer.

In 2008, Samuthirakani landed his breakthrough role as an actor when he essayed the role of Kanugu in the period drama Subramaniapuram, which also earned him a Filmfare (South) nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Since then, he has appeared in supporting and leading roles in around 50 films across all major South Indian film industries. Especially notable among these was the acclaimed 2015 docudrama crime-thriller Visaranai, where the actor essayed the role of a police inspector. For his performance in Visaranai, Samuthirakani won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor that year.



Other significant acting credits include Velaiyilla Pattathari (2014), Rajini Murugan (2016), Velaiilla Pattadhari 2 (2017), Nimir (2018), Yemaali (2018), Kaala (2018), Goli Soda 2 (2018), 60 Vayadu Maaniram (2018) and Vada Chennai; and the Malayalam films Shikkar (2010) and Oppam (2016). Besides these, Samuthirakani has also directed critically acclaimed movies like Naadodigal (2009) and Appa (2016) in recent times. His 2019 projects include Peranbu, Kolanji, Jackpot, Kennedy Club, Adutha Sattai and Sillu Karuppatti. His 2020 movie credits include Naadodigal 2 and Walter.

Samuthirakani's busy period from 2021 to 2025 saw him take on multiple roles, primarily as an actor. In 2021, he appeared as an Actor in the romantic drama Thalli Pogathey (2021), the crime drama Writer (2021), the action comedy-drama MGR Magan (2021), the drama Sangathalaivan (2021), the comedy-drama Aelay (2021), and the action romantic thriller Krack (2021). His 2022 roles as an Actor included the drama thriller Panchathantram (2022), the crime mystery thriller Dongalunnaru Jagratha (2022), the action comedy-drama Macherla Niyojakavargam (2022), the action drama Poikkal Kuthirai (2022) and Yaanai (2022), the action comedy Don (2022), the historical action drama RRR (2022), the action thriller Maaran (2022), the action drama thriller Bheemla Nayak (2022), and the action drama Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (2022) in its Hindi version.

Moving into 2023, he continued as an Actor in the family drama Are You OK Baby? (2023), the action thriller Nenu Student Sir! (2023), the adventure drama Dasara (2023), the drama Naan Kadavul Illai (2023) and Thalaikoothal (2023), while also working as Director and Writer for the comedy fantasy BRO (2023) and appearing as an Actor in the drama Vimanam (2023).

His 2024 work included roles as an Actor in the drama Thiru.Manickam (2024), the family drama Rajakili (2024) and Nandhan (2024), the suspense thriller Oru Anweshanathinte Thudakkam (2024), the comedy thriller Andhagan (2024), the action drama thriller Indian 2 / Bharateeyudu 2 / Hindustani 2 (2024), the action drama Garudan (2024), the action drama thriller Hit List (2024), the action drama Rathnam (2024), the drama thriller Yaavarum Vallavare (2024), the sports drama Singappenney (2024), the action drama Siren (2024), and the action adventure fantasy Hanu-Man (2024).

In 2025, his work included roles as an Actor in the action drama Bad Boy Karthik (2025) and Arasan (2025), the family drama Carmeni Selvam (2025), the action drama Siren (Telugu) (2025), the drama Madura Veera (Telugu) (2025) and Aakashavani (2025), the mythological action adventure Jai Hanuman (2025), the period thriller Kaantha (2025), the political drama Padaiyaanda Maaveeraa (2025) and Veera Vanakkam (2025), the crime thriller Maargan (2025) and HIT: The Third Case (2025), the family drama Ramam Raghavam (2025), the crime suspense thriller Oka Pathakam Prakaaram (2025), the political action drama Game Changer (2025), and the action drama Vanangaan (2025).