His notable movies include Uthama Puthiran, Aryamala, Kannagi, Manonmani, Kubera Kuchela and Jagathalapratapan.

Chinnappa had completed his education only till 4th grade, he was not much involved in academics, he was rather interested in acting.

Chinnappa's acting as a thief in Sadaram stage play as a kid won applause from audiences.

At that time Madurai Original Boys company were conducting stage play in Pudukkotai, Chinnappa was recruited for a salary of Rs.15 with a 3-year contract.

Even though Chinnappa was offered small roles in Madurai Original Boys company, he used to perform other characters during his free time.

Pillai was very happy and instantly increased his salary from Rs.15 to Rs.75 at that moment and promoted Chinnappa as a hero.

[1] Pathuga Pattabishekam was one of the very popular stage shows that generated good revenue for the Madurai Original Boys company.

After quitting he acted in fewer stage plays, having an interest in singing and classical music, he practiced with the help of Sundaresa Nayakkanar and Vedachala Baghavadar.

So Chinnapa tried various things, like acting in stage plays, participating in competitions like wrestling and Silambam.

After the debut, Chinnappa acted in 5 films, Punjab Kesari, Raja Mohan, Anadhai Penn, Yayathi and Mathruboomi.

During this time, Chinnappa's voice also was not as before, he also stayed fasting for 40 days which made him lose weight.

It was during this time, the competition between M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar and Chinnappa intensified and their respective fans clashed.

[1] Chinnappa acted in several movies for the next few years, notably Aryamala and Kannagi, which made him as a box office hero.

[4] The dual domination of cinematic celebrities who attained demigod status in Tamil Nadu started with this pair.