She is known for her role as a teenage single mother in "Kya Kehna" (2000). She also got a lot of credit for her roles in films such as "Chori Chori Chupke Chupke" (2001), "Dil Chahta Hai" (2001), "Dil Hai Tumhaara" (2002), and "Armaan" (2003), and she especially won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her performance in the drama "Kal Ho Naa Ho" (2003). She also played leading roles in the science fiction film "Koi... Mil Gaya" (2003) and the romantic drama "Veer-Zaara" (2004), which were the two consecutive top-grossing films in India for her. She also played other roles like a modern Indian woman in both "Salaam Namaste" (2005) and "Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna" (2006), which were the highest grossing productions in the overseas markets.