She was born in Agarpara, to Shailen and Nilima Roy. Satabdi Roy passed her Madhyamik from Sorojini High School in 1986 and later attended Jogamaya Devi College, a women's college affiliated to the University of Calcutta.

Debut and Breakthrough (1986 - 1989)

Roy made her film debut opposite Prosenjit Chatterjee in Tapan Sinha's much acclaimed Bengali film Atanka (1986) which earned her the Bengal Film Journalists' Association – Best Supporting Actress Award in 1987. Earlier she had worked in a film called Tina directed by Dinen Gupta, but it was never released. In 1987 she had five releases including Hiren Nag's Pratibha, Prabhat Roy's Pratikar, Anjan Mukhopadhyay's Nyay Adhikar, Biresh Chatterjee's Ekanta Apan and Anjan Choudhry's Guru Dakshina which became a massive grosser at box office. She was paired with Tapas Paul in this film. She reprised her chemistry with Paul in Dinen Gupta's Antaranga (1988) and Tarun Majumdar's Parashmani (1988). Both the films became massive grosser at box office.

Prime success (1990 - 2000)

The year 1990 saw Roy emerging out as a bankable filmstar with her two back-to-back commercial success Apan Amar Apan by Tarun Majumdar and Abishkar by Salil Dutta. In both the films she played the role of an aspiring singer but was noted more for her role in Abishkar where she essayed a singer who set in a quest of her kidnapped sister-in-law. She was also noted for her role in Tapan Saha's Alingan (1990). She went on to convey hits like Nandan Dasgupta's Prem Pujari (1991), Deb Singha's Adhikar (1992), Guru Bagchi's Pennam Kolkata (1992), Prashanta Nanda's Ghar Sansar (1993) and Lal Pan Bibi (1994), Srikanta Guhathakurta's Shraddhanjali (1993), Chiranjeet Chakraborty's Sansar Sangram (1995), Swapan Saha's Sakhi Tumi Kar (1996), Anjan Banerjee's Chandragrahan (1997) to name a few. More recently she acted in Fight 1:1, released in 2011.

She became the Member of Parliament, having won in the Lok Sabha election on a Trinamool Congress ticket from the Birbhum constituency of West Bengal in 2009.^[5][6] She again won from the same constituency on a Trinamool Congress ticket in 2014.

• Fight 1:1 (2011)
• Dhaki (2009)
• Friend (2009)
• Biyer Lagna (2008)
• Shibaji (2008)
• Tolly Lights (2008)
• Abhinetri (2006)
• Dwiragaman (2005)
• Nishachar (2005)
• Debipaksha (2004)
• Chor O Bhagoban (2003)
• Debipuja (2003)
• Jua (2003)
• Sukh Dukkher Sansar (2003)
• Aami Jibonpurer Pathik (2001)
• Bhalobasa Ki Aage Bujhini (2001)
• Bidhatar Khela (2001)
• Cancer (2001)
• Etai Swarga (2001)
• Janak Janani (2001)
• Nadie Pare Aamar Bari (2001)
• Shesh Bichar (2001)
• Srimoti Bhayonkari (2001)
• Dabi (2000)
• Didi Aamar Maa (2000)
• Kalankini Badhu (2000)
• Pita Swarga Pita Dharma (2000)
• Rupasi Dohai Tomar (2000)
• Sajoni Aamar Sohag (2000)
• Satruta (2000)
• Shapath Nilam (2000)
• Trishul (2000)
• Gariber Raja Robinhood (1999)
• Gunda (1999)
• Jugbatar Loknath (1999)
• Krishna Kaberi (1999)
• Aparajita (1998)
• Asal Nakal (1998)
• Jiban Trishna (1998)
• Kamalar Banabas (1998)
• Putra Badhu (1998)
• Raja Rani Badsha (1998)
• Ranakshetra (1998)
• Shimul Parul (1998)
• Sreeman 420 (1998)
• Swamir Aadesh (1998)
• Abhishapta Prem (1997)
• Ajker Santan (1997)
• Bahurupa (1997)
• Bakul Priya (1997)
• Bidroho (1997)
• Chandragrahan (1997)
• Mayar Badhan (1997)
• Patirodh (1997)
• Sarbajaya (1997)
• Jamaibabu (1996)
• Joy Bijoy (1996)
• Sakhi Tumi Kar (1996)
• Sinthir Sindur (1996)
• Tridhara (1996)
• Abirbhab (1995)
• Boumoni (1995)
• Kumari Maa (1995)
• Mashal (1995)
• Pratidhwani (1995)
• Sansar Sangram (1995)
• Shesh Pratiksha (1995)
• Sukher Asha (1995)
• Ajana Path (1994)
• Bidrohini (1994)
• Kalpurush (1994)
• Lal Pan Bibi (1994)
• Nagjyoti (1994)
• Phiriye Dao (1994)
• Tumi Je Aamar (1994)
• Arjun (1993)
• Ghar Sansar (1993)
• Kanyadan (1993)
• Maan Samman (1993)
• Tomar Rakte Amar Sohag (1993)
• Prajapati (1993)
• Prathama (1993)
• Premi (1993)
• Shakti (1993)
• Shraddhanjali (1993)
• Sukher Swarga (1993)
• Adhikar (1992)
• Antardhan (1992)
• Dharma-Yuddha (1992)
• Maa (1992)
• Monikanchan (1992)
• Natun Sansar (1992)
• Pennam Kolkata (1992)
• Shaitan (1992)
• Aamar Sathi (1991)
• Bidhir Bidhan (1991)
• Maan Maryada (1991)
• Naya Zaher (Hindi film) (1991)
• Prem Pujari (1991)
• Abhimanyu (1990)
• Abishkar (1990)
• Alingan (1990)
• Anurag (1990)
• Apan Aamar Apan (1990)
• Bhanga-Gara (1990)
• Chetana (1990)
• Gharer Bou (1990)
• Jowar Bhanta (1990)
• Kalanka (1990)
• Raktareen (1990)
• Aamar Shapath (1989)
• Agnitrishna (1989)
• Amanat (1989)
• Angar (1989)
• Biday (1989)
• Bondini (1989)
• Judge Saheb (1989)
• Mahapith Tarapith (1989)
• Mangaldeep (1989)
• Maryada (1989)
• Mone Mone (1989)
• Monimala (1989)
• Shatrupaksha (1989)
• Srimati Hangsaraj (1989)
• Aghat (1988)
• Agnisanket (1988)
• Antaranga (1988)
• Chhannachhara (1988)
• Dena Paona (1988)
• Maa Ek Mandir (1988)
• Parashmoni (1988)
• Punarmilan (1988)
• Shudhu Tomari (1988)
• Ekanta Apan (1987)
• Gurudakshina (1987)
• Nyay Adhikar (1987)
• Pratibha (1987)
• Pratikar (1987)
• Amar Bandhan (1986)
• Atanka (1986)
• Bouma (1986)

When not working on a shoot, Roy would teach acting at the Satabdi Foundation or spend time with her son Samyoraj Banerjee(Tozo), daughter Samiyana Banerjee(zumi) and husband Mrigank Banerjee,Executive manager of Satabdi Roy Foundation.^[3]

Roy won the BFJA Award for Best supporting actress for the film Debipaksha in 2005.^[7][8]