Esakki Karvannan's directorial debut was Pagiri (2016), a film which talked about the plight of farmers in Tamil Nadu.
The title of the film was a transliteral translation for WhatsApp, which formed a significant part of the plot.
[2] Deccan Chronicle gave the film the same rating and wrote that "in the end, Pagiri is a very novel twist to the 'common man woes' idea, but shallow comedy undermines the impact it could have had".
[3] His second film, Pettikadai (2019) with Samuthirakani playing the lead, had the message of emphasising that children ought to be taught good deeds early on in life.
[4] A reviewer from The New Indian Express noted it was "a petty film filled with regressive ideas".