Mehta did commercials, music videos, and was associated with theatre for a long time. He made his acting debut with the 2005 Telugu film, Abhimaani and then worked in another Telugu film Indian Beauty in 2006.[7] In 2008, he made his Hindi film debut with Haal-e-Dil, playing a painter Shekhar opposite Amita Patak. Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama noted, "Nakuul Mehta in all fairness, is very confident, a bundle of energy and knows his job well. His expressions are perfect at all times."[8] In 2011, he appeared in the short film Avant Garde, which received praises and was showcased at various film festivals.[9] The film was a box office failure.[10]