[5] She played the leading lady in several films, including Daag (1999), Dhadkan (2000), and Kurukshetra (2000), and received critical recognition for her performances in Dil Kya Kare (1999), Lajja (2001) and Dobara (2004), earning nominations for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for Dil Kya Kare and Dhadkan.

Mahima was born as Ritu Chaudhry to a Jat father from Baghpat District of Uttar Pradesh[6] and a Nepalese-origin mother in Darjeeling, India.

[8] Prior to her first release Pardes, she changed her name to Mahima Chaudhry upon the recommendation by her director Subhash Ghai, who believed the letter 'M' to be lucky for leading actresses in his films.

In the 2021 West Bengal elections, Chaudhry campaigned for some candidates from both Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Trinamool Congress.

[16] In 2024, Chaudhry came out in support of Prime Minister Modi, calling him an inspirational figure under whom India's respect has increased in the world.