By: Entertainment DeskKochi | December 29, 2025 05:57 PM IST 4 min readActor-producer Riya Shibu plays a key role in Nivin Pauly's Sarvam Maya. (Credit: Instagram/@riyashibu_, @akhilsathyan)With the massive success of director Akhil Sathyan’s Sarvam Maya, actor Nivin Pauly, who had been going through a rough patch for quite some time, has made a strong comeback, positioning himself as a force to be reckoned with at the box office yet again. In just five days, the movie has grossed Rs 44 crore globally, according to industry tracker Sacnilk, making it one of the major Malayalam successes of 2025. While Nivin is, as usual, earning praise for his performance, another name has also been making headlines for stealing audiences’ hearts. And it’s none other than Riya Shibu, who played Delulu, a bubbly young ghost, in Sarvam Maya.Although this is just her second acting venture, cinema is not new to Riya. In fact, the 21-year-old is already an established producer who has gifted South Indian cinema with some impressive works, including one headlined by “Chiyaan” Vikram. The daughter of renowned producer and distributor Shibu Thameens of Thameens Films — which bankrolled Dulquer Salman’s ABCD: American-Born Confused Desi (2013), “Thalapathy” Vijay-Sridevi’s Puli (2015), and Vikram-Nayanthara’s Iru Mugan (2016), among others — Riya became a popular figure first in the virtual world through her short videos on TikTok, Dubsmash, and Musically.Don’t Miss | Lokah, Feminichi Fathima, Moonwalk, Eko and others: 10 best Malayalam films of 2025After making a mark as a young social media sensation, Riya Shibu turned to cinema and made her debut by bankrolling the Tamil action drama Thugs (2023), a remake of the 2018 Malayalam film Swathanthryam Ardharathriyil, under the banner of HR Pictures. Her brother, Hridhu Haroon, most notable for his role in the globally acclaimed All We Imagine as Light (2024), and actor Anaswara Rajan played the lead roles in the film. The same year, she also co-produced Vikrant Massey and Vijay Sethupathi’s Mumbaikar (2023), a remake of director Lokesh Kanagaraj’s directorial debut Maanagaram (2017). Riya Shibu with co-stars Nivin Pauly and Aju Varghese in Sarvam Maya. (Credit: Instagram/@ajuvarghese)While she bankrolled the gangster thriller Mura, again starring Hridhu, in 2024, her biggest project to date, director SU Arun Kumar’s Veera Dheera Sooran: Part – 2, arrived in 2025. Featuring Vikram, SJ Suryah, Suraj Venjaramoodu, and Dushara Vijayan in key roles, the movie opened to positive reviews and became a box office success, grossing Rs 63.45 crore worldwide.Speaking about Riya, Vikram said during a promotional event for Veera Dheera Sooran, “She is a producer who truly blew me away. I first met her on the day of the photoshoot. Just a young girl, standing there so calmly holding a camera. I remember thinking, ‘Is she actually the producer?’ Then I saw one of her reels — it was incredible! Man, what energy! I wondered, ‘How does she even do all this?’ I also saw her dancing brilliantly at a wedding, and I was stunned once again. Riya, you have a long way to go.” Riya Shibu is All We Imagine as Light star Hridhu Haroon’s sister. (Credit: Instagram/@riyashibu_)Meanwhile, Riya Shibu made her acting debut opposite Mathew Thomas in the 2024 Malayalam movie Cup. However, it failed to impress the audience and went largely unnoticed. Sarvam Maya is her sophomore acting venture, and its massive success is expected to mark a significant turning point in her career. She continues to be a beloved figure on Instagram as well, boasting over 6.92 lakh followers.Story continues below this adShe is reportedly an alumna of Trivandrum International School and Loyola College in Chennai, where she pursued a degree in Visual Communication. Riya’s father, Shibu, also runs Thameens Release, which distributes Tamil and Malayalam movies.Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd