Before Bhasker started acting in films she was associated with N. K. Sharma's "Act One" theater group in
Delhi. She shifted to
Mumbai in 2008 and made her acting debut with the 2009 film
Madholal Keep Walking, which was screened at the
33rd Cairo International Film Festival but underperformed at the box office India. She then played a supporting role in
Sanjay Leela Bhansali's drama
Guzaarish (2010), alongside
Hrithik Roshan and
Aishwarya Rai. Bhasker then appeared in
Srinivas Sunderrajan's black and white thriller
The Untitled Kartik Krishnan Project, which was touted as India's first
mumblecore film, made on the budget of and completed in one year, was also the first Indian film to be screened at the
Transilvania International Film Festival. However, both
Guzaarish and
The Untitled Kartik Krishnan Project were box-office failures and Bhasker remained unnoticed for her performances. Bhasker garnered widespread recognition from critics and audiences with a supporting role in the 2011's commercially successful romantic comedy-drama
Tanu Weds Manu in which she played the role of Payal, the best friend of the film's lead actress
Kangana Ranaut. She received praise and several nominations for her performance, including her first nomination for the
Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 2013, she played the lead role in
Listen... Amaya (2013), which also saw the reunion of actors
Farooq Sheikh and
Deepti Naval after 28 years, and earned positive reviews from critics. She then appeared in
Raanjhanaa, along with
Dhanush and
Sonam Kapoor, which was one of the
highest-grossing Bollywood film of the year. She received high critical praise as well as her second Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination for her role of Bindiya in the film. She appeared in a lead female role in the box-office flop
Sabki Bajegi Band opposite
Sumeet Vyas and in the moderate successful
Machhli Jal Ki Rani Hai with
Bhanu Uday. '', 2013 Bhasker served as a host for
Shyam Benegal's television mini-series
Samvidhaan, which was based on the making of the
Indian Constitution. The series aired on
Rajya Sabha TV from March 2014 to May 2014. On her trip to
Lahore,
Pakistan, Bhasker appeared as a guest in the Pakistani TV comedy show,
Mazaaq Raat which was aired in April 2015. Bhasker had three releases in 2015. In her first release, she reprised her role of Payal in the romantic comedy-drama
Tanu Weds Manu Returns, a sequel to the 2011 film
Tanu Weds Manu. The film and Bhasker's performance received high critical acclaim. The film was a financial success as well and became one of the few women-centric films that rank among the
highest-grossing Indian films. Her next release was the romantic family drama
Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, in which she played the role of Rajkumari Chandrika alongside
Salman Khan and
Sonam Kapoor. Directed by
Sooraj Barjatya, the film received mixed reviews. However, Bhasker's performance was well received by critics and audiences. With an estimated collection of , the film became one of the
highest-grossing Indian films. That same year, she played a minor role in the collaborative bilingual
X: Past Is Present. The film was directed by eleven filmmakers, and Bhasker appeared in
Nalan Kumarasamy's segment,
Summer Holiday, which revolves around a young boy (played by
Anshuman Jha), who goes to
South India for summer holidays where an Aunty seduced him so that her husband can rape him. Although the film received mixed reviews, but her role of Aunty was particularly praised.
Namrata Joshi of
The Hindu wrote "
X: Past Is Present belongs to its women". In 2016, Bhasker played the lead in
Anand L. Rai's comedy drama
Nil Battey Sannata which marked her fourth collaboration with Rai. Bhasker was initially skeptical about the film because of the age difference between her and her character. However, she changed her mind after reading the script and played the role of a mother of a teenager. Upon the release, the film as well as Bhasker's performance received critical acclaim and she was awarded with the
Best Actress award at the Silk Road International Film Festival in September 2015. She began working in web series with ''
It's Not That Simple'', which is produced by
Viacom 18's streaming service
Voot. The show revolves around the idea of marriage, relationships, a woman's stand in a marriage, love etc. The series stars Bhasker along with television stars
Vivan Bhatena,
Akshay Oberoi and Karanveer Mehra, with
Danish Aslam as the director. , Bhasker had completed shooting for
Abbas Tyrewala's comedy drama
Mango, starring
Chandan Roy Sanyal and
Monali Thakur, being produced under the banner of
Kaleidoscope Entertainment. The film has been indefinitely delayed. She also played the lead role in
Shashanka Ghosh's 2018 romantic comedy film
Veere Di Wedding, co-starring
Kareena Kapoor,
Sonam Kapoor and Shikha Talsania, about four girls who embark on a trip from Delhi to Europe. Her
masturbation scene using a
vibrator in the film was praised for its frank portrayal of women's sexuality. Her performance in the film earned her a third Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress nomination. == Personal life ==