Another account says he was inspired by the virtuosity of the nadaswaram player Koorainadu Natesa Pillai.

Arunachalam trained further on the nadaswaram under Kattumalli Subbiah and Vilathikulam Swamigal,[1] and under Kalakkad Subbiah Bhagavatar and Kalakkad Ramanarayana Bhagavatar for vocal music.

Arunachalam's fame soared when he played for the Tamil movie Konjum Salangai, in which the hero is a nadaswaram player.

The song "Singaravelane Deva" was a hit and often played at local events.

Arunachalam died suddenly at the age of 43 on 6 April 1964 at the peak of his fame.