Ravi acted as a child actor in two Telugu films: "Bava Bavamaridi" and "Palnati Pourusham", which were produced by his father. Jayam Ravi made his acting debut in the action-masala film "Jayam", produced by his father and directed by his brother Mohan Raja. It was a remake of the 2002 Telugu film of the same name. His next venture was the sentimental drama "M. Kumaran Son Of Mahalakshmi" (2004), the remade version of the Telugu film "Amma Nanna O Tamila Ammayi", in which he starred alongside Asin Thottumkal. Of Ravi's performance, a critic from Sify wrote that he "makes you want to see more of him", while "The Hindu"s Malathi Rangarajan noted that he came out with an "appreciable portrayal throughout". The film, considered a family entertainer, received the Tamil Nadu State Film Special Award for Best Film and fetched Ravi himself the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor. It also emerged a financial success.