In 1946, Roy and her husband responded to an advertisement in a Gujarati paper looking for actors.
She was selected and started her acting career with the Gujarati film Ranakdevi.
The same year she acted in her first Hindi film Amar Raj.
One of her popular films was Do Bigha Zamin (1953).
She largely played mythological characters in the films of the 1940s and 50s.
Her image of a goddess was very strong and people would visit her home and seek her blessings.
Among her co-stars were Trilok Kapoor (with whom she played in eighteen movies)), Bharat Bhushan, Balraj Sahni, and Ashok Kumar.

In the 1970s, her role as mother to the characters played by Amitabh Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor made her name synonymous to the impoverished suffering mother.
Her role in Deewaar (1975) and its dialogues with reference to a mother and son are used as clichés.
In 1946, Roy and her husband responded to an advertisement in a Gujarati paper looking for actors. She was selected and started her acting career with the Gujarati film Ranakdevi. The same year she acted in her first Hindi film Amar Raj. One of her popular films was Do Bigha Zamin (1953). She largely played mythological characters in the films of the 1940s and 50s. Her image of a goddess was very strong and people would visit her home and seek her blessings. Among her co-stars were Trilok Kapoor (with whom she played in eighteen movies)), Bharat Bhushan, Balraj Sahni, and Ashok Kumar.
In the 1970s, her role as mother to the characters played by Amitabh Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor made her name synonymous to the impoverished suffering mother. Her role in Deewaar (1975) and its dialogues with reference to a mother and son are used as clichés.
Nirupa Roy