Chaudhry began her career as a video jockey and made her acting debut in 1997 with the film Pardes, where she played a village girl opposite Shah Rukh Khan. The film was a global hit, and her performance earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut, along with a nomination for Best Actress.

Over the years, Chaudhry took on various roles in films:

• Daag: The Fire (1999): She played a dual role.
• Pyaar Koi Khel Nahin (1999): A widow forced to marry her brother-in-law.
• Dhadkan (2000): A loving friend of a man in love with someone else.
• Deewane (2000): A singer in love with a thief.
• Kurukshetra (2000): A determined police officer’s wife.
• Lajja (2001): A bride fighting against dowry.
• Yeh Teraa Ghar Yeh Meraa Ghar (2001): A tenant refusing to leave her home.
• Om Jai Jagadish (2002): A caring homemaker.
• Dil Hai Tumhaara (2002): A sister devoted to her sibling’s happiness.
• Dobara (2004): A frustrated housewife.
• The Film (2005): A struggling screenwriter.
• Zameer: The Fire Within (2005): A paralyzed dancer.
• Film Star (2005): A fading and arrogant actress.
• Home Delivery (2005): A South Indian superstar.
• Souten: The Other Woman (2006): A housewife having an affair with her stepdaughter’s boyfriend

In 2010, she acted in Pusher, a film by Knightsbridge Media directed by Assad Raja, and appeared in the thriller Mumbhaii – The Gangster, alongside Om Puri and Sanjay Kapoor.