At the start of his career, he took up a number of odd jobs including being a carpenter and a coolie. He was later employed by Bangalore Transport Service (BTS), where he worked as a bus conductor. Even as a conductor he knew how to entertain and pull a crowd with his unique style. He was very famous among the passengers and other bus conductors due to his unique style of ticketing and to whistle.
To saw his style, Rajni’s friend suggest him to left the job and join the Madras Film Institute. It was during this time that he came across an advert for acting classes at the Madras Film Institute and decided to join against the wishes of his family. His friend and co-worker Raj Bahadur supported him financially during his course.