She started her Bollywood career with 'Dil Se' in 1998 opposite Shah Rukh Khan.
Some of her hit films are Soldier, Kya Kehna, Mission Kashmir, Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, Armaan, Koi... Mil Gaya, Lakshya, Kal Ho Naa Ho, Veer-Zaara, Salaam Namaste, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom and many more.
Apart from Bollywood she has also acted in an English film-The Last Lear (directed by Rituparno Ghosh) and a Canadian film- Heaven on Earth, for which she was awarded the Silver Hugo Award for Best Actress at the Chicago International Film Festivaland .
She has also appeared in many Telegu films.
She has also been nominated in Filmfare award many a times and also won Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut (Dil Se) and Filmfare Award for Best Actress for her performance in Kal Ho Naa Ho.
Apart from movies she has written many columns for BBC News Online South Asia, has been a founder of the production company PZNZ Media and also a co-owner of the Indian Premier League cricket team Kings XI Punjab.