Padmapriya made her acting debut in the 2003 Telugu film "Seenu Vasanthi Lakshmi",a remake of the Malayalam film "Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njaanum". She played the role of a sexually exploited poor sister of a blind man in the film. Padmapriya says, she accepted this offer "for the sake of friendship". This made possible her entry into the Malayalam film industry in the same year, starring in the film "Kaazhcha" alongside Mammootty. For her portrayal of a mother of a young girl, who struggles to accommodate another child, a victim of the Gujarat earthquake, she received rave reviews and the Asianet Award for Best Female New Face of the Year.