Rising star Riya Shibu is capturing attention both on and off screen with her acclaimed performance in the Malayalam holiday release Sarvam Maya. The horror-comedy fantasy, starring Nivin Pauly, has been making buzz among audiences since its Christmas Day release, with houseful shows in theatres across Kerala.
Riya Shibu, a 21-year-old talented Indian actress and producer known for her work in the Malayalam and Tamil film industries. Her journey in the cinema industry is noteworthy, as she made her acting debut with a lead role in the Malayalam movie Cup (2024).
Before winning praise as Delulu, the bubbly ghost in Sarvam Maya, she had established herself behind the scenes as a film producer, turning heads when she produced a major action film featuring Tamil star Chiyaan Vikram at the age of 19.
Riya comes from a film-oriented family where her father, Shibu Thameens, is a well-known producer and distributor in South Indian cinema, and her brother, Hridhu Haroon, is an actor himself. She began her public journey creating short videos on social platforms before entering films, later studying Visual Communication at Loyola College, Chennai.
Her debut as an actress was in the 2024 Malayalam film Cup, but it is Sarvam Maya’s success that gained her immense popularity, endearing her to audiences with her charm and performance. In a now-viral moment, she was seen beaming with delight outside a theatre in Ernakulam upon seeing the Sarvam Maya houseful board, even teasing co-star Nivin Pauly in a playful video shared widely on social media.
With the film continuing its successful run and Riya’s popularity on the rise, industry watchers believe this year-end hit could be a defining moment in her evolving career as both a producer and an actor.
