In 1965, she moved to playing character roles with a film called "Shaheed". She made the transition from playing leading heroine roles to character roles very easily. Her performances were appreciated in "Waris", "Vishwas", "Yakeen", "Aadmi Aur Insaan", "Uphaar", "Qaid", "Bhanwar", "Tangewala" and "Heeralaal Pannalaal". As a character artist she was a fixture in seven Manoj Kumar films - "Shaheed (1965 film)", "Upkar", "Purab Aur Paschim", "Sanyasi", "Shor", "Roti Kapda Aur Makaan", "Dus Numbari" and "Santosh" (1989). Kaushal has had a long stint in films with releases till 2014. She stunned audiences by playing a mercenary vamp with aplomb in the film "Anhonee" (1973). Kamini Kaushal played mother to Rajesh Khanna in "Prem Nagar" in 1974, and in "Maha Chor" in 1976, and as sister in law to Khanna in "Do Raaste".