While her initial roles often relied on her perceived beauty and sex appeal, Kapadia was keen to challenge herself and expand her range. She was among the first actresses who starred in women-centred Hindi action films but found greater favour with critics when she took on more dramatic roles in both mainstream and neorealist parallel cinema. Appearing in films ranging from marital dramas to literary adaptations, she played troubled women sometimes deemed reflective of her personal experience, and received acclaim for her performances in "Kaash" (1987), "Drishti" (1990), "Lekin..." (1991), and "Rudaali" (1993). For her role as a professional mourner in "Rudaali", she won the National Film Award for Best Actress and a Filmfare Critics Award. Kapadia followed with character roles in "Gardish" (1993) and "Krantiveer" (1994), the latter securing her a fourth Filmfare Award.