[2][3] Banu made her acting debut with Junglee (1961), for which she received Filmfare Award for Best Actress nomination.

Banu went onto be part of many successful films including - Bluff Master (1963), Ayee Milan Ki Bela (1964), Jhuk Gaya Aasman (1968), Padosan (1968), Victoria No.

Banu also worked as a producer for the Bhojpuri film Ab To Banja Sajanwa Hamaar (2006).

Banu made her acting debut opposite Shammi Kapoor in the 1961 film Junglee, for which she earned her first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress.

She did one more film opposite her first hero Shammi Kapoor, Bluff Master, directed by Manmohan Desai.

[10] Banu established herself with successful films during the 1960s including Jhuk Gaya Aasman (1968) and Ayee Milan Ki Bela (1964), with Rajendra Kumar,[11] April Fool (1964), with Biswajit Chatterjee, Aao Pyaar Karen (1964), and Shagird (1967) with Joy Mukherjee.

Cult film Padosan, in 1968, opposite Sunil Dutt, catapulted her to the top league and she continued to play the heroine for several years after that.

She acted in six with Dharmendra: Jwar Bhata, Aadmi Aur Insaan, Resham Ki Dori, Pocket Maar, International Crook and Chaitali out of which 5 were Superhit.

Remember, the same was said for the great star Madhubala, comparing her to Marilyn Monroe, and I am happy to be in such illustrious company!Banu appeared in a cameo opposite her husband in Duniya (1984), wherein the song "Teri Meri Zindagi" became very popular.

In his autobiography, Dilip Kumar: The Substance and the Shadow, he revealed that Banu had conceived in 1972, but developed complications in the pregnancy, leading to a miscarriage.

[29] Dinesh Raheja of Rediff.com noted, "Saira Banu is a fey beauty, as delicate as filigreed lace.