Gowariker started his career as an actor, making his debut in 1984 in director Ketan Mehta’s picture Holi. On the Holi sets, Gowariker met Aamir Khan. After that, he acted in several television serials, including Circus (1989), C.I.D. (1998) and several films, including Naam (1986), Chamatkar (1992), and Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa (1993).

The 1993 movie Pehla Nasha marked Gowariker’s directorial debut. His second movie Baazi (1995), starred Aamir Khan.

In 2001, Gowariker wrote and directed the period epic movie Lagaan, produced by and starring Aamir Khan. Lagaan was the story of a cricket match between British officers and Indian villagers in the late 18th century. It ranked third among 2001’s Indian movies in terms of gross revenue.

In 2004, Gowariker directed Swades, starring Shahrukh Khan.

In 2016, Gowariker directed the film Mohenjo Daro, starring Hrithik Roshan. He returned to acting by playing the lead role in the critically acclaimed comedy-drama Ventilator (2016), which was produced by Priyanka Chopra.

In 2016, Gowariker returned to screen as an actor in the Marathi film, Ventilator. Allegedly, he took about 6 months to agree to do the film. The film went on to become a box office success and was critically acclaimed.