[2] He made his acting debut with India Pakistan (2015) and played a minor role in the Kadhalum Kadanthu Pogum (2016) directed by Nalan Kumarasamy.
[1] Manikandan then played an antagonist in Sri Ganesh's debut directorial venture 8 Thottakkal (2017) alongside M. S. Bhaskar and Lallu.
[4][5] He paired with Nivedithaa Sathish in the romantic anthology film Sillu Karupatti (2019), directed by Halitha Shameem.
Manikandan directed an independent film Narai Ezhuthum Suyasaritham (English Title: Endless) starring Delhi Ganesh and himself.
[16] He also joined hands with debutant director Rajeshwar Kalisamy for Kudumbasthan, which was released on 24 January 2025 in theaters to positive reviews from critics.