Her work was appreciated in the films Thang (2006), Maati Maay (2007), Sawar Re (2007), Saas Bahu Aur Sensex (2008), Sumbaran (2009) and Ek Daav Dhobi Pachhad (2009).

[5] Later, she graduated from Savitribai Phule Pune University in Theatre and earned a bachelor's degree with Drama from Lalit Kala Kendra.

[8] She made her debut in Marathi television in 1998 with the TV series Ghadlay Bighadlay, in which she played the character named Champa in rural style.

[8] She later played small roles in TV series such as Pimpalpan (1998), Bandhan (1998), Buwa Aala (1999), Chitta Chor (1999), Me Ek Bandu (1999), Abhalmaya (1999), Shriyut Gangadhar Tipre (2001) and Indradhanush (2003).

[15] In 2009, Barve featured in the Ashok Saraf's producer debut Ek Daav Dhobi Pachhad (2009), a comedy romance in the role of Sulakshana, who has feelings for her father's enemy's son and lies to her father that she is pregnant in order to visit the U.S.[16][17][18] Her next appearance was in Gajendra Ahire's film Sumbaran (2009), in which she played a Dhangar girl named Kalyani.

[19] Barve's final appearance of 2010 was opposite Upendra Limaye in the National Award winning film Jogwa, dealing with religious superstitions in rural India.

In 2009, Barve was honoured by the Sangeet Natak Akademi with the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar for achievement in Marathi theatre.

[33] Barve's next appearance was opposite Swwapnil Joshi in Satish Rajwade's TV show Eka Lagnachi Dusri Goshta (popularly known as ELDG) (2012).

[36] In 2012, Barve worked in Satish Rajwade's Badam Rani Gulam Chor, an adaptation of the Marathi play Makadachya Hati Champagne, alongside Upendra Limaye, Pushkar Shrotri and Anand Ingale.

[42] Barve played Maitreyi Bhagwat, who runs a boutique to support the family, and lives a life where she has suppressed all her desires to be able to take care of her mother.

[44][45] Ajay Naik's directorial debut, a romantic musical love story, Lagna Pahave Karun was Barve's next film release.

Co-starring Umesh Kamat, Siddharth Chandekar and Tejashree Pradhan Ketkar,[46] Barve was cast as Aditi Tilak, a wedding planner who wants to start her own marriage bureau.

[55][56] The Times of India reviewed her performance as "Mukta, who too makes a return after two years, is brilliant as ever as the strong-willed, caring and accommodative wife".

[60][61][62] Barve's next release was Amit Trivedi's road drama film, Highway, alongside many actors where she played a sex worker.

[71] In 2016, Barve appeared in Atul Jagdale's Ganvesh, co-starring Kishor Kadam, Dilip Prabhavalkar, Smita Tambe, Guru Thakur and many more in which she played a tough police inspector, Meera Patil, who is torn between following her duty to respect the khaki uniform and following her seniors' orders.

[72] In 2016, she acted in and produced a play titled Codemantra, an engaging courtroom drama set up against the background of the Indian Army under the banner of Rasika Productions.

[78] The Times of India wrote of her performance in the film as " In a small role too, Mukta drives the point home with her expressions.

[80] In 2017, Barve, under her own production house, produced five shows of the iconic play Sakharam Binder, specially for her backstage people.

[85] As of August 2017, she has started featuring in a Marathi television show named Rudram, a thriller which airs on Zee Yuva as Ragini, a woman exacting her revenge on many people.

[86] She is seen alongside many popular Marathi artists like Satish Rajwade, Mohan Agashe, Sandeep Pathak, Kiran Karmarkar and Vandana Gupte.

Firstly she was seen in Saleel Kulkarni's directorial debut Wedding Cha Shinema alongside Rucha Inamdar, Shivaraj Vaychal and others.

[97] In the film she played the role of Madhavi Sawant, a tough police officer, who incurs the wrath of several powerful enemies who plan to get rid of her.

[100] Her third film in the year was Vikram Phadnis' Smile Please wherein she played the role of Nandini Joshi, a photographer, who is diagnosed with an early-onset dementia, to find sense of purpose and dignity opposite Lalit Prabhakar and Prasad Oak.

[103] Mukta Barve starred in a short film called Devi, which showcased the lives of nine women belonging to different societal backgrounds, who were forced to form a bond due to their circumstances.

Mukta's co-stars in the film included Neha Dhupia, Neena Kulkarni, Shivani Raghuvanshi, Yashaswini Dayama, Sandhya Mhatre, and Rama Joshi.

[105] The movie also features Nandu Madhav, Prajakta Mali, Omkar Govardhan, Sandeep Pathak, Rohit Kokate, and Suhas Sirsath.

Mukta Barve starred in the Indian Marathi-language drama film Aapdi Thaapdi, written and directed by Anand Karir.

Mukta's character, Parvati, is the wife of the protagonist, Sakharam Patil (played by Shreyas Talpade), a farmer who develops a unique friendship with a goat.

[115] In 2015, Barve, along with some other actors, took initiative in an expedition, "Pakshi Vachva" started by the NGO Animals Matter To Me, for the protection of birds.

[117] Barve recently inaugurated a special two-day seminar Badalta Maharashtra, organised by the Marathi daily Loksatta International Women Day, 8 March 2016.