She made her debut in 1989, with T. K. Rajeev Kumar‘s Malayalam blockbuster Chanakyan, opposite Kamal Haasan.[18] Her Bollywood debut came with N. Chandra‘s 1991 action drama Narsimha. Upon release, the film emerged a commercial success. Matondkar played the role of Meenu S. Singh, the rebellious daughter of Baapji (played by Om Puri), a goon lord and capitalist of the city. She next starred in Rajiv Mehra’s ghost comedy Chamatkar, alongside Shah Rukh Khan (1992). Her first Telugu film came with the action-crime Antham, and its Hindi bilingual Drohi opposite Nagarjuna. She played Bhavna, an ornithologist who is in love with Nagarjuna’s character. Upon release, the film received positive reviews from critics.[19] The film marked first of her many collaborations with director Ram Gopal Verma. In 1993, Matondkar appeared in Shreemaan Aashique opposite Rishi Kapoor and Bedardi opposite Ajay Devgn— both these films failed critically and commercially. Varma’s Telugu political thriller Gaayam (1993) was her next release. The film garnered positive reviews, with six state Nandi Awards, and emerged a Super Hit at the box office.[20] Matondkar’s performance earned her a Nandi Award for Best Supporting Actress.