From an early age, Raniya's world revolved around the arts. "From as far back as I can remember, my journey into the arts started with dance,"   "If someone asks at what age music and dance entered my life, I have no clear answer, because music and dance were always a part of it."

After years of perseverance, Raniya Raanaa is finally basking in the spotlight she long dreamed of. The actor, who plays Chinchu Rani opposite Malayalam actor Dileep in the film Prince And Family, is a story of relentless passion, discipline, and unwavering self-belief.

Unlike many aspiring artists who face opposition at home, Raniya found encouragement. "There was never any difficulty from my parents in letting me walk this path of art. That's how I ended up at Kerala Kalamandalam," she recalled. "To study there, you must know Malayalam. Until 8th grade, I was in the CBSE syllabus. So I switched to the state syllabus for a year to qualify."

Her parents recognised her passion early and enrolled her in dance classes. But their support went far beyond dance. "Violin, veena, singing, dance, along with my studies, I was trained in all of it," she said. "My classes would start at 6 am on Monday and go on until 9 pm the next Sunday."

Raniya, the youngest of three sisters, credits her parents' open-mindedness to their experiences raising her elder siblings. She said, "The eldest is an architect. The second, a doctor. So when it came to me, my parents didn't have to insist on anything. Maybe if I were the only child, I wouldn't have received this much support."

Her journey in classical dance spans nearly two decades, with six years at Kalamandalam and a postgraduate degree in Bharatanatyam. She even started her own dance school while still pursuing her studies. "Classes were only on Saturdays and Sundays, with four students. But I always wanted to take the academy to a bigger level," she said.

Her dedication bore fruit on the performance stage, too. "While studying at Kalamandalam, I did my arangettam (debut performance). After that, I performed in many international dance festivals. I received the Nrithya Choodamani Award at an event held in Kolkata," she shared. "My parents are my biggest critics, and also my biggest support."

Despite her deep involvement in dance, her heart was always set on cinema. "To be honest, my ultimate goal was never dance; it was always cinema," she confessed. "No one directly helped me get into the cinema. When you chase after films, every moment feels like your hope is fading. Only if you have that much self-confidence can you keep going again and again."

Her cinematic dreams date back to early childhood. "Even at a very young age, I used to sit always ready, because I believed I was going to be an actress the next day. So, I used to wear makeup all the time. If my mom gave me some traditional food, I'd ask - 'Do film actresses eat this?'" she laughed.

Raniya's determination was unshakable. In first grade, she cried to act in films and insisted on being seen on television, even if just her voice. She acted in a music album as a child, but it never saw release. Later, opportunities in the film world kept knocking, but none came through. "My first real film opportunity came when I was in 9th grade. It was a big film - the pooja ceremony had happened. But the movie got shelved," she said. "Then, during my higher secondary classes, I got an offer to play the heroine opposite a big Tamil star. But again, it didn't happen."

Despite these setbacks, she continued her studies, although reluctantly. "After the 10th, I told my parents I wanted to stop studying. I argued - 'You don’t need much education to become an actress.' But my parents stood firm and took me all the way to an MA."

Then came a moment of crucial decision. Raniya had secured a Rs 3 crore fully-funded scholarship to a university in the US for research in dance. "Everything was going smoothly, only the final research paper was left," she said. "At that time, I got an opportunity to play the heroine in a big Tamil project. The hero was the same actor who had once tried to launch me. I decided to pause my research temporarily."

However, fate had other plans. "I waited for a year, maintaining my fitness, diet, everything. After exactly one year, I heard the news: the project was cancelled. I broke down completely. My PhD was left midway. The film was gone too. This happened in 2023," she said. "I didn't tell my mom at first. When they found out later, it was a shock for everyone."

Amid the heartbreak, her dance school became her refuge. "During that time, my dance school had been shut down because of COVID. In early 2023, I restarted it. Today, I have students from all over the world," she said. "When the film got cancelled, it was the dance school that truly helped me heal."

Then came a call for an audition for Prince And Family. With years of disappointment behind her, Raniya approached it without expectations. "I wasn't afraid because I was used to getting opportunities and losing them. I called my mom and asked, 'Will you come with me one last time to an audition?' Her face said, 'Haven't you had enough?'" she said.

"I went to the audition completely relaxed. I had nothing to lose. That attitude, maybe, is what brought me luck," she said. "After finishing the audition, I even told them, 'If I'm not selected, please tell me quickly - I can't wait in suspense.'" "When I was selected to play Chinchu Rani in the film, it felt like destiny. I realised something: if we truly desire something with all our heart, the universe will make sure we receive it," she said.

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