 Kalpana began her career as a child artist in the film "Vidarunna Mottukal".After making her debut as a mainstream actor in the 1980 film "Pokkuveyil", directed by G. Aravindan, she went on to star in several critically acclaimed films and her portrayals as a comedian were appreciated by critics.Her Tamil debut was through the 1985 released successful film "Chinna Veedu", opposite K. Bhagyaraj.