Debut and breakthrough (1986–1989)

Prosenjit Chatterjee and Roy in a sequence in Atanka (1986)

Roy made her film debut opposite Prosenjit Chatterjee in Tapan Sinha's much acclaimed Bengali film Atanka (1986), which earned her the BFJA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting role in 1987.^[1] Earlier, she had worked in a film called Tina, directed by Dinen Gupta, but it was never released. She rose to stardom after she acted opposite Tapas Paul in Tapan Saha's Amar Bandhan (1986).^[11]

In 1987, she had five releases including Hiren Nag's Pratibha, Prabhat Roy's Pratikar, Anjan Mukhopadhyay's Nyay Adhikar, Biresh Chatterjee's Ekanta Apan and Anjan Choudhry's Guru Dakshina, which became a massive grosser at box office. She was paired with Tapas Paul in this film.

She reprised her chemistry with Paul in Dinen Gupta's Antaranga (1988) and Tarun Majumdar's Parashmani (1988). Both the films became massive grossers at box office.

She featured opposite Tapas Paul in Angar (1989) that became a major financial success.^[12]

Prime success (1990–2001)

Roy in Atanka

The year 1990 saw Roy emerging out as a bankable film star with her two back-to-back commercial successes Apan Amar Apan by Tarun Majumdar and Abishkar by Salil Dutta. In both films, she played the role of an aspiring singer, but was noted more for her role in Abishkar, where she essayed a singer who set out in a quest of her kidnapped sister-in-law. She was also noted for her role in Tapan Saha's Alingan (1990). She went on to convey hits such as Nandan Dasgupta's Prem Pujari (1991), Deb Singha's Adhikar (1992), Guru Bagchi's Pennam Kolkata (1992), Prashanta Nanda's Ghar Sansar (1993), Lal Pan Bibi (1994), Srikanta Guhathakurta's Shraddhanjali (1993), Chiranjeet Chakraborty's Sansar Sangram (1995), Swapan Saha's Sakhi Tumi Kar (1996) and Anjan Banerjee's Chandragrahan (1997) to name a few. She made her Bollywood debut in National Award winning director Jyoti Sarup's Naya Zaher (1991).^[13][14]

She hit the pinnacle of her professional rivalry with Rituparna Sengupta in the late 1990s since the two were offered most of the female leads opposite Prosenjit Chatterjee after Debashree Roy vowed not to work with Chatterjee any longer.^[15] Still she managed to feature opposite Chatterjee in commercially successful Bengali films such as Lathi (1996), Sakhi Tumi Kar (1996), Bakul Priya (1997), Bidroho (1997), Chandragrahan (1997), Ranokhetro (1998), Swamir Aadesh (1998), Kalankini Badhu (2000), Sajoni Aamar Sohag (2000), Shapath Nilam (2000) and Trishul (2000).^[16]

Setback (2003–2013)

Her post-marital career was not successful. Swapan Saha cast her alongside Tapas Pal, Abhishek Chatterjee and Rituparna Sengupta in his family drama Sukh Dukkher Sansar (2003). The film was financial success.^[17] She then accepted the role of an embittered widow in Raja Sen's social drama Debipaksha (2004).^[18] Though a disaster at box office, the film fetched her another BFJA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting role in 2005.

Further roles (2016–2018)

She was approached to play the lead in Teesta, a stage adaptation of Bratya Basu's play Mukhomukhi Bosibar.^[19] Teesta was staged for the first time in January 2016. It was directed by Shekhar Samaddar and staged by Aabhash theatre group.^[20]

On 23 April 2016 Roy at the conference of the film Bizli (2018), declared that she would portray the antagonist Dr. Jerina in the film.^[21][22] Initially she was reluctant to play the role but finally gave her nod on Bobby's insistence.^[21] Her performance in the film was received well by critics.^[23]

She portrays an advocate in her upcoming Hindi film The Jangipur Trial.^[24]

Hindi films

Bengali films

Odia films

Stage adaptation

Reality show

Literary works