He made his debut in the Tamil film Moscowin Kavery (2010), before playing leading roles as a man with cerebral palsy in Vinmeengal and as a mechanic in Soorya Nagaram.
However, due to Ravi Varman's date conflicts with his projects as a cinematographer, the film languished in development hell, eventually releasing in August 2010.
[10] His third film, Chellamuthu's Soorya Nagaram opposite Meera Nandan faced a much smaller release and won average reviews from critics.
Playing Vetrivel, a shop mechanic in Madurai, the film focussed on inter-caste marriage and parental opposition, with a critic citing that Rahul is "good and emotes well".
In 2013, Rahul played a supporting role in the romantic comedy Vanakkam Chennai, featuring alongside Shiva and Priya Anand, with the film performing well at the box office.
[12] His 2014 release, Ala Ela became a sleeper hit at the box office, with the film earning audiences through positive word-of-mouth via social media.
[19] In 2023, he essay the role of the husband in the Tamil drama The Great Indian Kitchen, a remake of the Malayalam version was released to highly positive reviews from critics and audiences.