[5] He made a breakthrough as an actor following the success of P. Vasu's Walter Vetrivel (1993), and subsequently starred in several prominent Tamil films in the 1990s in villainous roles.
Ponnambalam also played the lead roles in film including the action drama Muthal Echarikkai (1999) and Ammaiyappa (2002), where he featured alongside actress Roshini.
Reviewing the film, a critic noted "the movie does little other than prove conclusively that Ponnambalam is not cut out to be a hero", and that "though he picks a role that suits his build, emotes surprisingly well and fights aggressively, his looks make it difficult for us to accept him as a conventional leading man".
[8] His acting commitments thereafter also decreased, with notable appearances in the period including roles as a village chief in Thamizh Padam (2010) and characters in Venghai (2011) and the historical drama, Ponnar Shankar (2011).
[12] In June 2017, he left the AIADMK and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the presence of the Union Minister of State for Finance and Shipping, Pon Radhakrishnan.