She comes from an Airforce background. She lost her father in a road accident. Her mother single handedly brought up the three children in Delhi. Her brother is a commercial pilot and her sister is a gynaecologist. She graduated from Jesus and Mary College, Delhi. Sandali went to Kishore Namit Kapoor's acting school. Born in a family of Pilots and Doctors, Sandali was keen on becoming a doctor. But a brief experience on an amateur fashion show made her shift to the world of modelling.
A graduate in commerce, Sandali shifted to Mumbai for better prospects. In a short period of time, Sandali became a very popular model. Fame first came to her with a Sonu Nigam music video of video called 'Deewana' which was directed by Anubhav Sinha. This music video took Sandali to her debut film 'Tum Bin,' directed by Anubhav Sinha and produced by Super Cassettes Industries Limited. In the film, Sandali plays Pia -an innocent girl who becomes a victim of circumstances. Paired opposite her are three very famous models-Priyanshu, Himanshu and Rakesh Bapat.