Gowthaman made his directorial debut with Kanave Kalaiyadhe (1998) starring Murali and Simran.

[3] After a long gap he directed a tele series for Makkal TV based on the life of serial killer Auto Shankar and "Santhanakaadu" based on Veerappan.

[5] The film, received good reviews for its content and went unnoticed due to its low key release.

[6][7][8] He went on to direct a short film called "Vetti" which received controversy as the police felt that it was insulting against national flag.

[9][10] Gowthaman have organized and participated many protest favoring Tamil people interests.