[1][2] Abhishek made his debut as an actor with Gnana Rajasekaran's critically acclaimed drama film Mogamul (1995), playing a leading role alongside Archana Joglekar.
[3][4] Unable to sustain a career in films, he switched over to television in 1999 after Ekta Kapoor offered him a role in her new serial, Kudumbam.
He began work on his directorial debut Kathai featuring newcomers, and the film had a low-profile release in January 2012.
The film won mixed reviews, with a critic from Sify.com noting he "should be patted on his back for touching up on such a heavy subject".
[8] Abhishek then announced another project titled Kaiyazhuthu with Shaan, who played the lead role in Kathai, during the making of his first film, but the venture was later left incomplete.