Long before she became one of television’s familiar bahus, Riva Bubber made her acting debut opposite Vijay in Tamil cinema. Years later, she became a household name as Damini Virani in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, appeared in some of the biggest television shows of the 2000s, and even shared screen space with Akshay Kumar in Pad Man. But at a time when many actors would have wanted to hold on to the spotlight, Riva quietly stepped away from mainstream acting.
In a recent interview with India Now And How, Riva opened up about her journey—from making her Tamil film debut opposite Vijay to becoming a household name with Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, before walking away from television to pursue a completely different creative passion.
A nervous debut opposite Vijay
Riva entered the entertainment industry in the mid-1990s under the screen name Reeva. Her acting debut came with the Tamil film Selva (1996), opposite Vijay, who would go on to become one of Tamil cinema’s biggest stars before entering politics.
Looking back at the film, she remembers just how terrified she was on her first day of shooting in Ooty.
“I was 17. I still remember my first shot. My heart was pounding. I literally thought it would come out of my mouth.”
Though she had attended acting classes conducted by Asha Chandra, Riva admits she was still finding her feet. Vijay, she says, made the experience much easier.
Calling him “a thorough gentleman”, she recalled how he patiently helped her through dance rehearsals and difficult scenes.
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The film’s climax required her to be locked inside an iron cage suspended over the roaring Hogenakkal Falls while Vijay’s character rescued her.
“When the cage was dropped into the waterfall after the shot, it bounced like a ball. I was just 18. Had anything gone wrong, my career would never have happened.”
Watching Vijay’s remarkable political rise years later felt surreal.
“I was really, really happy for him. I even Googled an old picture from Selva. Most people don’t even recognise me in that look.”
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She followed Selva with another Tamil film, Roja Malare, before her career took an unexpected turn.
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The music video that crossed borders
Before becoming a familiar face on Indian television, Riva found herself part of an international musical success.
In 2001, she featured in the bilingual Arabic-Hindi pop hit Habibi Dah (Nari Narain) by Egyptian singer Hisham Abbas and Bombay Vikings. Shot across India, including Agra and Kerala, the song became a massive success in the Middle East, and won Best Video at the Murex d’Or Awards.
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Few actors can say they became recognised in Cairo before Mumbai.
The Cadbury commercial that changed her life
Ironically, it wasn’t cinema that opened television’s doors for Riva. After appearing in a Pond’s Face Wash commercial and a small Cadbury montage film, she auditioned for Cadbury’s now-iconic Mehndi commercial.
She remembers being told later that the final choice had come down to her and Kim Sharma.
“Apparently, it was between Kim Sharma and me. They felt I looked like I was having more fun during the audition.”
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The commercial caught the attention of television executives, and soon she landed the lead role in Kyun Hota Hai Pyarrr opposite Amit Sadh.
Becoming television’s favourite bahu
Kyun Hota Hai Pyarrr made Riva a familiar face among young viewers, but it was Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi that transformed her into a household name.
Although she initially turned down several offers from Balaji Telefilms because she wasn’t keen on daily soaps, she eventually joined the iconic series as Damini Virani—a role that stayed with her for years and won her widespread recognition.
Looking back, she remembers the warmth of the cast and crew more than the pressure of working on India’s biggest television show.
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“Everyone was so nice. I never felt like I had entered this intimidating place.”
The popularity of the character blurred the line between fiction and reality.
“Women would come up to me at weddings and say, ‘We wish we get a daughter-in-law like you.’ I had to remind them that what they saw on television wasn’t really me.”
The success of Kyunki led to a steady stream of television projects, including Ayushmaan, Karma, Kkavyanjali, K. Street Pali Hill, Ram Milaayi Jodi, Beintehaa and Suryaputra Karn.
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For nearly two decades, Riva remained a familiar face on Indian television, often juggling multiple shows and spending almost all of her twenties on busy studio floors.
Why she chose to leave acting behind
After spending nearly two decades in front of the camera, Riva reached a point where she wanted something television couldn’t offer—time.
The relentless schedule of daily soaps had meant rushing from one set to another for years, leaving little room for travel or personal pursuits.
“I wanted to travel more. I wanted more time for myself. I didn’t even know how my twenties went because I was constantly running from one set to another.”
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Photography, which had begun as a hobby with a small Sony camera gifted by her brother, slowly grew into a serious passion. She recalls taking photographs during holidays and at friends’ family celebrations, where her work received encouraging feedback. One such moment came after she photographed Hiten Tejwani and Gauri Pradhan’s children at their birthday party.
“Gauri told me, ‘These are very nice. You should do this.’ I realised that if I wanted to pursue it seriously, I needed to invest in a professional camera and learn the craft properly.”
Riva went on to study photography formally, first completing basic and advanced courses in portraiture and photojournalism before attending specialised programmes in London and Paris to refine her skills. She says the transition from acting to photography felt surprisingly natural.
“I spent most of my life in front of the camera. Then I decided to take a step back and get behind the camera.”
One of the biggest turning points came while she was studying in Paris. Through friends, she was introduced to clients looking for photographers, giving her an unexpected opportunity to build an international portfolio even before returning to India.
Riva with her husband. (Photo: Instagram/Riva Bubber)
“I was quite lucky. While I was studying, some friends had clients in Europe. Since I was already there, I started shooting a couple of sessions. Later, Indian clients who were getting married abroad began taking me along to photograph their weddings.”
Those assignments gave her valuable international experience and reinforced her decision to pursue photography full time.
Today, she runs Studio Riva Bubber in Mumbai, specialising in weddings, portraits, boudoir and documentary-style photography. Rather than creating heavily staged images, she prefers candid storytelling that captures genuine emotion.
Riva believes her years as an actor have become her greatest advantage behind the lens. Spending over a decade under studio lights taught her how light falls on a face, which angles flatter people and, perhaps most importantly, how vulnerable it can feel to stand in front of a camera.
That understanding shapes her approach even today. Instead of directing people into rigid poses, she focuses on making them comfortable enough to forget they’re being photographed. Over the years, several of her friends from the entertainment industry, including actors like Arshad Warsi and Amit Sadh, have stepped in front of her camera, trusting someone who understands storytelling from both sides of the lens.
She describes herself as someone who loves travelling, baking and dogs, interests she rarely had time to pursue during the hectic years of daily television.
Could she return to acting?
Photography may now be her full-time profession, but Riva hasn’t shut the door on acting. She made a brief appearance in R Balki’s Pad Man because, as she says, some opportunities are impossible to turn down.
“You don’t say no to a film like Pad Man, a director like Balki or Akshay Kumar Productions.”
Would she return if another meaningful role came her way? Her answer is simple.
“Never say never.”