Debut and breakthrough (2010–2013) Khan's acting career began while visiting the set of
Yuvvraaj at
Subhash Ghai's film school
Whistling Woods.
Salman Khan noticed her and decided to cast her for his friend
Anil Sharma's film
Veer because, he said, "She looks the character – the sweet princess she is playing in
Veer". After a screen test, Khan was given the lead role of Princess Yashodhara. She gained eight kilograms in order to be more convincing as a 19th-century princess. The film revolves around the 1825
Pindari movement of
Rajasthan, when India was ruled by the
British.
Veer did not do well at the
box office; however, her performance received mixed reviews from both critics and audiences.
Taran Adarsh of
Bollywood Hungama observed that "Zarine resembles
Katrina Kaif, but wears one expression all through".
Nikhat Kazmi of
Times of India concluded that "Zarine is unimpressive".
Rediff.com mentions that "Zarine is average". Critic Subhash K. Jha called her performance a "Zarine's charm adds to her adorable screen presence." Khan was nominated for the
Zee Cine Award for Best Female Debut for her performance in the film. In 2011, Khan did the
item number "Character Dheela" with
Salman Khan in
Anees Bazmee's
Ready, parodying characters from
Mughal-e-Azam,
Sholay and
Shri 420 and it was the
second highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2011. Khan walked the ramp as showstopper for jewellery brand YS18 at India International Jewellery Week (IIJW), 2012. Khan's second release was
Sajid Khan's
comedy film Housefull 2, a sequel of
Housefull and Hindi remake of the
Malayalam film
Mattupetti Machan. The film revolves around two cousins Henna and Bobby, the two daughters of the Kapoor family who hate each other very much, a model JLo, love interest of Jolly, the son of Jagga Daku and four Best friends Sunny, Max, Jolly, and Jai who fall in love with her. Khan played the role of JLo, a model who is in love with Jolly, played by
Ritesh Deshmukh and featured her alongside an ensemble cast including
Akshay Kumar,
Asin,
John Abraham and
Jacqueline Fernandez. Khan earned praise for her performance, with Taran Adarsh stating, "Zarine act more as eye candy. She appears typical sultry and enticing selves; and is befitting in her own space."
Housefull 2 ranked among the
highest-grossing Bollywood films of 2012. '' screening in 2012 In 2013, Khan made her
Tamil debut in
Vetrimaaran's
Naan Rajavaga Pogiren, in which she did an
item number in the song "Malgove" alongside
Nakul Jaidev. She was appreciated for the song. Taran Adarsh commented, "Zarine Khan's song is high on energy."
Hate Story 3, hiatus and decline (2014–present) Khan's first release of 2014 was
Rohit Jugraj's Punjabi film
Jatt James Bond, her first role outside Bollywood. She featured in the role of a Lalli, an innocent
Punjabi woman alongside
Gippy Grewal. The film received positive reviews from critics, and her performance was particularly praised. Film critic
Komal Nahta wrote "Zarine Khan delivers an award-winning performance. She is extraordinary and lives the role of Lalli, making every scene in which she appears immensely watchable for her brilliance!" '' in 2014 In 2015, Khan appeared in erotic thriller film
Hate Story 3, in which she played Siya. The film was a commercial success and got Khan further recognition. She then appeared in a music video "Pyaar Manga Hai" with
Ali Fazal. The song was sung by
Armaan Malik and
Neeti Mohan. In 2016, Khan did an item number in the film
Veerappan. The same year, she also appeared in another item song named "Mahi Ve" in the film
Wajah Tum Ho. In 2017, Khan appeared in
Aksar 2. In the film, she was seen romancing with
Gautam Rode, and the first poster of the film was released on 4 August 2017 on
YouTube.
Bollywood Hungama disliked Khan's performance and wrote, ''Zareen Khan is strictly okay and though she is sizzling, it's done just for the heck of it. She tries to be the female
Emraan Hashmi but it doesn't work for her. Performance-wise, she doesn't give her best shot.'' The film did not perform well at the box office. In 2018, Khan starred in
Vikram Bhatt's horror film
1921, the fourth installment in
1920 film series. Although the film received mixed reviews, it managed to recover its cost and became an
average grosser. In January 2018, Khan signed Ashok Nanda's action film
One Day: Justice Delivered, in which she was set to portray the role of a police officer. She was eventually replaced by
Esha Gupta. In 2019, she made her
Telugu debut with action-thriller film
Chanakya, which received mixed reviews from critics and performed poorly at the box office. The same year, she appeared in Punjabi film
Daaka alongside
Gippy Grewal, which also received mixed reviews. In 2021, Khan starred in the film
Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele with
Anshuman Jha, which revolves around a unique love story about two homosexuals. In 2025, Zareen Khan diversified her career by becoming an entrepreneur, launching her own skincare and haircare brand, Happy Hippie. ==Personal life==