Television

Ahsan first appeared on television in an ad for Coca-Cola in 1997.^[9] She debuted her acting career on television through the drama Panchomi, written by Shahidul Haque Khan.^[9]

Having begun her career as a model in the late 1990s, Ahsan has since worked in numerous television dramas and serials. She established her reputation as an actress with roles as Monika in Labonyo Probha, Pushpo in Toukir Ahmed and Bipasha Hayat's teleplay Shonkhobash, and in Hatkura. She found Hatkura, set on the edge of a village in Rangpur District, a challenge. "I had to learn the dialect of Rangpur for the role. Actually, I had never been to a village before that. And it was a completely new experience for me", she said.^[8] In Channel i's 2010–2011 serial Choita Pagol, she played the role of rural woman Alta. Ahsan said, "Alta is one of my favourite characters. I liked playing the role."^[8] Her performance in Mejbaur Rahman Sumon's Tarporo Angurlata Nondoke Bhalobashe also cemented her position as an actress. She portrayed various characters in teledramas including: Sixty Nine (69), Tevaga, Shahortolir Alo, Tarpor Paruler Deen, Amader Choto Nodi, Mayesha, Jostna, Nodi Othoba Roshider Kichu Kolpo Drisyo, Amader Golpo and many more.

Ahsan played the role of a sex worker in the television play Tarporo Angurlata Nando Ke Bhalobashey in 2009.^[10]

Film

Ahsan debuted her film career as a guest artiste in the film Bachelor (2004), directed by Mostofa Sarwar Farooki.^[11] As the lead actress, she debuted in Nasiruddin Yousuff's film Guerrilla (2011)). Adapted from the novel Nishiddho Loban by Syed Shamsul Huq, the film was based on the events of the Bangladesh Liberation War. It narrates the tale of Bilkis Banu, played by Ahsan, a freedom fighter, who actively participates in the Liberation War while searching for her lost husband.^[12] The film won National Film Awards in ten categories, including the Best Actress Award for Ahsan.^[13]

Ahsan's second film, Chorabali (2012), was an action thriller directed by Redoan Rony.^[14] She portrayed Noboni Afroz, a journalist, and won her second National Film Award for Best Actress Award.^[15]

In 2013, Ahsan acted in an Indian Bangla film titled Aborto, directed by Arindam Sil.^[16] She was nominated for the Filmfare Awards East for Best Debut Performance Female for her role in the film. She also received an official invitation to attend the 66th Cannes Film Festival. In the same year, she appeared in Purno Doirgho Prem Kahini, a Bangladeshi romantic film directed by Shafi Uddin Shafi. It was her first Bangladeshi film in collaboration with Shakib Khan. They both starred in its sequel, Purno Doirgho Prem Kahini 2, released in 2015.

After a one-year break Zero Degree was her next venture. The film is a psychological thriller written and directed by Animesh Aich and was released on 15 January 2015. Ahsan won a National Film Award for best actress for her performance in the film. In 2015, Ahsan worked in two other Indian Bangla films — Rajkahini based on the 1947 east and west Bengal separation directed by Srijit Mukherji and Ekti Bangali Bhuter Goppo, a psycho-horror film directed by Indranil Roychowdhury. Ekti Bangali Bhuter Golpo was set for a world TV premier in Kolkata on 17 May in Zee Bangla Cinema. Jaya's much anticipated Rajkahini starring alongside Rituparna Sengupta, Abir Chatterjee, Parno Mittra, Sohini Sarkar, Rajatava Dutta and many others was released on 16 October 2015.

In 2017, Ahsan acted in Bishorjan alongside Abir Chatterjee and Kaushik Ganguly directed by Kaushik Ganguly himself, for which she received awards including Filmfare Awards (first Bangladeshi to win so), Zee Cine Awards and BFJA Awards for her performance portraying the character of Padma. In the same year, Jaya was honoured with the ABP Ananda Sera Bangali for achievement in acting. Her other two releases that year are Akram Khan's Khacha: The Cage and Manoj Michigan's Ami Joy Chatterjee.

In 2018, Ahsan performed in a courtroom drama Ek Je Chhilo Raja based on the historic Bhawal case directed by Srijit Mukjerji in a star cast including Jisshu Sengupta, Aparna Sen, Anjan Dutt, Rudranil Ghosh and others. She was also seen in Crisscross alongside Mimi Chakraborty and Nusrat Jahan, directed by Birsa Dasgupta. Debi, a film based on Humayun Ahmed's novel, was released on 19 October 2018. It is directed by Anam Biswas, starring Chanchal Chowdhury, Ahsan and Sabnam Faria in the lead roles.^[17] The film was produced by Ahsan, as her first production from her production house C Te Cinema.^[18] She received her fourth National Film Award for Best Actress and her seventh Meril Prothom Alo Award for Best Film Actress (Critics Choice) for her performance in this film.^[19][20]

In 2019, her first release was Kaushik Ganguly's Bijoya, sequel to Bishorjan for which she won the Tele Cine Awards for Best Actress and Best Jodi alongside her co-star Abir Chatterjee.^[21] Then she was seen in Arnab Paul's debut Brishty Tomakey Dilam, a psychological thriller based on split personality disorder. She received the 'Dashobhuja Bangali 2019' award from the St. Xavier's College Calcutta Alumni Association. Next she did Konttho which released on 10 May directed by Nandita Roy and Shiboprosad Mukherjee starring Shiboprosad Mukherjee himself, Paoli Dam where Jaya plays the role of a speech therapist. After that she teamed up with Atanu Ghosh for his upcoming movie Bini Sutoy alongside Ritwick Chakraborty where she will also do a playback. Jaya again worked with Atanu Ghosh next film titled Robibar starring with Prosenjit Chatterjee for the first time. She has finished Soukarya Ghosal's fantasy horror Bhoot Pori and is shooting for Kaushik Ganguly's next titled Ardhangini starring alongside Churni Ganguly. She wrapped up filming Alatchakra, the first 3D Bengali movie directed by Habibur Rahman based on the novel by Ahmed Sofa. She recently worked with Piplu Khan on his first feature film based on the current pandemic.

In December 2023, Ahsan made her Bollywood debut in Kadak Singh, a thriller film by Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury released on Zee5.^[22] Hindustan Times regarded her performance in the film as "Outstanding on OTT: Breakout Performance".^[22]

Films

Web series

• Paanch Phoron

Series

Telefilms