Jawalkar was approached for roles in the films after she had uploaded a few of her photos on social media. Immediately after that, she got an offer to do short films. She did two short films namely Possessiveness and It's A Girl Issue which fetched her a lot of attention. After she completed her eight-month statistics course at Harvard in the US, she decided to pursue an acting career. In 2016, she joined acting classes for four months. After her training, her photos were sent to Geetha Arts. She made her acting debut in 2017 Telugu-language film Kala Varam Aaye, opposite Sanjeev SKJ. She then appeared opposite Vijay Devarakonda in the 2018 film Taxiwala. It became a box office success.[5][6]The Indian Express noted, "Priyanka Jawalkar’s role was to look pretty on screen and she has done it very naturally."[7]
Post a two-year hiatus, Jawalkar had three releases in 2021. She first appeared in Thimmarusu, a remake of the Kannada film Birbal Trilogy Case 1: Finding Vajramuni, opposite Satyadev Kancharana .[8][9]Deccan Chronicle said, "Priyanka Jawalkar gives a decent performance, but her role is weakly penned."[10] She next portrayed a college student in SR Kalyanamandapam opposite Kiran Abbavaram.[11][12]Times of India mentioned, "Priyanka Jawalkar is good enough in her role, giving her best with what she’s offered."[13] Jawalkar portrayed a Muslim girl, Zara in Gamanam, her final release of the year.[14][15]The New Indian Express noted, "Priyanka Jawalkar is aptly cast in her roles and delivers an earnest performances."[16]