It has been years since Tamil audiences saw Karthik on the silver screen. The actor is making a comeback of sorts with the latest Mani Ratnam flick 'Ravana'.

The once sought-after romantic hero of the South Indian film industry Karthik went into oblivion due to his supposed wayward behavior. His donning the grease paint once again signals a fresh start to a career that was flying high for many years.

The actor has been concentrating in politics for quite sometime now. Reports suggest that Karthik was forced to make a comeback to cinema by no lesser a person than the acclaimed Mani Ratnam.

Karthik, who had been part of Mani Ratnam's earlier blockbusters 'Agni Natchatram' and 'Mouna Ragam', has commenced shooting for the director's tentatively titled film 'Ravana'. A couple of scenes involving Karthik were shot in the dense forests of Kerala.

Interestingly, Prabhu who co-starred with Karthik in 'Agni Natchatram' is also playing a prominent role in the movie. Starring Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Priya Mani and Prithviraj in lead roles, the movie has cinematography by Manikandan and musical score by A R Rahman.