Shankar grew up in Tirumangalam, Madurai and was inspired by the success of actor Vadivelu, which prompted him to move to Chennai to pursue acting in 2004.
Unable to get a breakthrough in films, he began working as a clerk at K. Bhagyaraj's office and was first spotted by N. Linguswamy to feature as a road-side cycle mechanic in Ji (2005).
[3] He continued to feature in small comedic roles in films including Indiralohathil Na Azhagappan (2008) and Kuselan (2008).
Shankar made a breakthrough with his performance in Ambasamudram Ambani (2010), portraying a negative role alongside Karunas.
In 2017, he featured in the Tamil Nadu State Para Badminton tournament and won a gold medal.