Riya Sen, born Riya Dev Varma, is a renowned Indian actress and model who has made a mark in various film industries, including Bengali, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu, as well as music videos.
Sen's educational background includes studying at Loreto House in Kolkata, an INCSE school, and later pursuing Philosophy at Uccha Madhyamik School Rani Birla Girls' College. She also completed a course at the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Mumbai.
After completing her education, Sen took an acting course in London from Pinewood Actors Studio and voice and dubbing classes. She further expanded her skill set by completing courses in branding from the University of Arts in London, Fashion and Image Styling from Paris, and cooking from the blue elephant culinary school in Thailand.
Sen's acting career began at a young age, appearing as a child artiste in one of her mother's movies, Vishkanya (1991),when she was just five years old. She played the role of young Pooja Bedi.
Sen gained recognition in Falguni Pathak's music video, Falguni Pathak: Chudi (Yaad Piya Ki Aane Lagi) (1998),after which she appeared in several advertisements, fashion shows, music videos, and film magazines.
In 2000, Sen made her debut in Tamil films with Taj Mahal (1999),which was written by Mani Ratnam and R Selvaraj, and the music of the movie was composed by A.R. Rahman.
Sen's commercial success came with her movie Style (2001),a Hindi low-budget film directed by N. Chandra and starring Sharman Joshi and Sahil Khan. This movie saw Sen play the role of a college girl.
Sen has also been part of several other movies, including Jhankaar Beats (2003),Qayamat: City Under Threat (2003),Apna Sapna Money Money (2006),James (2005),Heyy Babyy (2007),and Anandabhadram (2005),among others.
In addition to Hindi movies, Sen has acted in several Tamil, Bengali, Telugu, Malayalam, and English films. Her English movie, It Was Raining That Night (2014),featured her mother, Moon Moon Sen. She also appeared alongside her sister, Raima Sen, in Noukadubi (2011),a Bengali film.
One of the most successful movies that Sen appeared in was her Malayalam film, Anandabhadram (2005),where she played the role of Bhama. The movie was awarded five Kerala State Film Awards and was one of the biggest successes in 2005.
Sen has also featured in several music videos and songs, including Jhumka Gira Re by Asha Bhosle, Jeena Hai Tere Liye (2001) by Sonu Nigam, Jab Samne Tum and Kahin Kahin Se by Jagjit Singh and Asha Bhosle, Dil Kahin Hosh Kahin by the late Lata Mangeshkar, Jagjit Singh and Asha Bhosle, and many more.
In 2006, Sen became the brand ambassador of Limca, replacing Deepika Padukone. She has been selected as the brand ambassador for several big names like Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate, Colgate, Reliance Industries, Dabur Vatika, and Nirma.
In 2012, Sen was awarded the Best Actress Star Guide Award for her performance in Noukadubi (2011).
She has appeared on the cover pages of several magazines and even walked the ramp for big fashion shows like Lakmé Fashion Week (2005-07) and Wills Fashion Week (2006-2007).
Riya has been granted an O-1 visa to the United States for her extraordinary abilities and has acquired the Racket Raiders team, which will compete in the Yuva National Badminton League to promote emerging talent, launched in 2025.
