Anu Vardhan's first involvement in the film industry was through her family friend Santosh Sivan's The Terrorist (1997).
[4][5][6] Vardhan has worked extensively with actor Ajith Kumar, collaborating with him on his projects with Vishnuvardhan and Siva.
[7][8] In 2016, Vardhan worked on Kabali (2016), she styled Rajinikanth in two different looks - as a gangster wearing high-end suits and as a labourer in the 1980s.
In the film, Anu was tasked to primarily dress the actor in kurtas and lungis, with a black theme.
[12] Anu has also regularly used handloom products in her work, notably designing silk-cotton saris for Nayanthara for her role in Viswasam (2019).