Paoli Dam is an Indian television and film actress who began her career in Bengali television serials. She completed her early education at Loreto school, followed by Vidyasagar College, affiliated with the University of Calcutta, where she pursued a degree in chemistry. She then pursued a master's degree in chemistry at Rajabazaar Science College.
Dam started her acting journey in 2003 with the Bengali television serial Jibon Niye Khela for Zee Bangla. She continued working in the Bengali television industry, with her ETV Bangla serial Tithir Atithi running for almost six years.
Her first film appearance was in Rabi Kinagi's Agnipariksha in 2006, in a supporting role. She was again seen in supporting roles in Tulkalam (2007),directed by Haranath Chakraborty, and I Love You (2007),directed by Rabi Kinagi. Her fourth Bengali film was Hochheta Ki? (2008),a comedy of errors by Basu Chatterjee, where she played the role of a Bengali housewife.
Dam gained recognition after the success of Kaalbela (2009),directed by Goutam Ghose, where she played the role of Madhabilata, the lover of a young Naxalite leader. She was praised by many critics for her integral role in the film. Following this, she had several other releases in 2009, including Jamai Raja (2009),Box No 1313 (2009),Shob Charitro Kalponik (2009),and Teen Murti (2009).
In 2010, Dam appeared in several films, including Tara (2010),Moner Manush (2010),When He Was 23 (2011),Banshiwala (2010),and Kagojer Bou (2011). Moner Manush (2010) was her second film directed by Goutam Ghose, where she played the role of Komli.
In 2011, Dam received global recognition for her role in the Bengali film Mushrooms (2011),which was featured at the Cannes Film Festival and screened at the Toronto Film Festival.
She went on to appear in Teen Yaari Katha (2012),a Bengali film directed by Sudeshna Roy and Abhijit Guha, and made her Bollywood debut in the same year with Vivek Agnihotri's film Hate Story (2012). After this, she was seen as a lawyer fighting for justice in Sohail Tatari's Ankur Arora Murder Case (2013),based on a true story of a young boy who lost his life due to medical negligence.
In 2020, she was seen in a supporting role in Netflix's Bulbbul (2020),where she played the role of Binodini. In 2022, she appeared in the Bengali film Byomkesh Hatyamancha (2022),where she played the role of Sulochona, and later that year, she appeared in Karm Yuddh (2022),a Disney Plus Hotstar web series revolving around the life of a wealthy family in Kolkata.
Dam won the Viewers' Choice Award for Best Actress at the Hyderabad Bengali Film Festival for her role in Natoker Moto: Like a Play (2015) in 2016.
