Bhattacharya's early work used Indian techniques of charcoal and tempera, focusing on themes relating to women in public life, and particularly, the colors and images of Bengali markets. Her later work is primarily in oil on canvas, drawing from historical and mythical themes. Describing Bhattacharya's work, South Asian art historian Marcella Sirhandi writes that she draws inspiration from the traditions of Indian miniature paintings, drawing from contemporary middle-class lived experiences of women. Art critic and author Manasi Majumdar has praised Bhattacharya's depiction of femininity in "...images of celebration and fulfillment," particularly noting her focus on the internal lives of her subjects. In 2006, commenting on an exhibition of Bhattacharya's works in Palo Alto, California, curator Sushma Bahl wrote that her work was "...quiet, content and non-provocative," depicting women at ease and independent of the male gaze.
