A model-turned-actor, known for playing negative roles, Tilak Shekhar predominantly features in Kannada movies, and was one of the 13 housemates in the first season of Bigg Boss Kannada. He made his debut in 2006 with director Ravi Shrivatsa's erotic thriller Ganda Hendathi, a remake of the hit Hindi film Murder (2004). He then played a supporting role in the suspense thriller Accident (2008), followed by director K. Madesh's Dandam Dashagunam, a remake of the Suriya-Jyothika starrer Tamil movie Kaakha Kaakha. He was seen in the role of a medical student in the 2013 psychological thriller Story Kathe, which received positive reviews. One of his most prominent performances was in Ugramm, under the direction of Prashanth Neel, which got Tilak nominated with a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor - Kannada. He was also appreciated for his role of a spoilt rich kid in the horror film Karvva, which got him a SIIMA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Kannada nomination. His 2017 venture includes the Kannada romantic thriller Sarvasva, written and directed by Shreyas Kabadi M, starring Tilak Shekhar, Meghana Appaiah, Ranusha Kashvi and Chethan Kumar in the lead roles.