Kalyan began his career in the film industry as a dancer working with his great aunt, Puliyur Saroja.
He also became an actor and portrayed a negative role in the college drama film, Kalloori Vaasal (1996) featuring Ajith Kumar, Prashanth and Pooja Bhatt.
He then played an antagonist against actor Vijay in S. A. Chandrasekhar's Maanbumigu Maanavan (1996), before moving on to work primarily as a choreographer.
Since 1996, he initially worked as an assistant under various dancers such as Chinni Prakash, Thara, Tharun and Puliyur Saroja, before going on to choreograph songs in over 200 films.
[1] Kalyan has however continued to make acting appearances in films including Kattradhu Kalavu (2010) and Kannula Kaasa Kattappa (2016), which he co-produced.