She became famous as the debutante heroine of the tragic romantic film Oru Thalai Ragam in Tamil that ran for 365 days in which she was paired with newcomer Shankar.
For her performance in the movie Avala Antharanga, Roopa won the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actress in 1984–85.
She debuted as a heroine in the experimental film Kamala in 1979 and the role of a prostitute brought her wide acclaim.
Her prominent Kannada movies include Haalu Jenu, Mullina Gulabi, Bandhana, Avala Antharanga, Marali Goodige, Trishoola, Aahuthi, Dharma and Bala Nouke.
She was romantically paired with matinee idol Dr.Rajkumar in Haalu Jenu, Samayada Gombe and Yarivanu which were all huge successes critically and commercially.