[11] Sanon made her acting debut in 2014 with the Telugu psychological action thriller 1: Nenokkadine, playing the love interest of Mahesh Babu's character.

[17][18] Trade journalist Taran Adarsh opined that Sanon "has the trappings of a star",[19] but critic Srijana Das of The Times of India criticised her emoting, calling it "more cheesy than sharp".

[23] She was next cast in Rohit Shetty's action comedy Dilwale with Varun Dhawan, Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol, which emerged as one of the highest-grossing Indian films at that time, grossing more than ₹3.72 billion (US$43 million) worldwide.

[24][25] Anupama Chopra disliked the film and wrote that Sanon and Dhawan "work as bait, meant to bring in the critical youth segment".

[26] After a yearlong absence from the screen, Sanon teamed with Maddock Films producer Dinesh Vijan, in their first of many collaborations, in his directorial debut Raabta (2017), which featured her and Sushant Singh Rajput as star-crossed lovers.

[27] In a scathing review, Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com labelled the film "embarrassingly daft" but took note of Sanon's "statuesque, spirited presence".

[29] Sanon's starring role as a headstrong small-town woman aspiring to a better life in Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari's romantic comedy-drama Bareilly Ki Barfi was better received.

She starred in cinematographer Laxman Utekar's Hindi directorial debut, Luka Chuppi, a satire on live-in relationships, which paired her opposite Kartik Aaryan.

[41] A remake of the 2011 Marathi drama Mala Aai Vhhaychy!, it starred her in the title role of an aspiring actress who becomes a surrogate mother.

[45] Pallabi Dey Purkayastha of WION wrote that Sanon had succeeded in her "attempt to establish herself as a standalone actor, not just a pretty heroine" and took particular note of the subtlety in her performance.

[56] In 2023, Sanon played the leading lady opposite Kartik Aaryan in Shehzada, a remake of the Telugu film Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo.

[59] She played Janaki in Om Raut's mythological film Adipurush, based on the Hindu epic Ramayana, co-starring Prabhas as Raghava.

[62][63] Critical reception to the film was negative;[64] Devesh Sharma opined, "Sanon is divinely beautiful as Janki but doesn't have much to do here, except look the part of a damsel in distress.

[70] Monika Rawal Kukreja of Hindustan Times was appreciative of her look and body language as a robot, but bemoaned that "the poor storyline doesn't really let her go all out".

[71] She next starred with Tabu and Kareena Kapoor Khan in the female-led heist comedy Crew, in which the trio played flight attendants.

[74] Both Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya and Crew emerged as commercial successes, ranking among the highest-grossing Hindi films of 2024.

[82] A journalist for Hindustan Times called Sanon a "confident performer" who "can switch from glamourous [sic] to small town personas with ease.

[84] Harper's Bazaar's Meghna Sharma stated: "Counted amongst the top female actors in the country today, Kriti's quiet determination can be credited for her steady rise.