Matondkar made her acting debut as a child artist in the 1980 Marathi film Zaakol, and had her first Bollywood release with the drama Kalyug (1981). She later gained recognition for her child role in the highly acclaimed drama Masoom (1983), following which she appeared in few other films as a child artist. Matondkar played her first adult role in the blockbuster Malayalam film Chanakyan (1989), and followed it with the box office hit Narsimha (1991), her first Bollywood film as an adult. Initially She got success as a lead heroine and worked with Ram Gopal Varma in many movies. Matondkar's career prospects improved when filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma cast her as the female lead in the highly successful romantic drama Rangeela (1995).