Riya became a popular model when she appeared in numerous music videos for songs by popular singers, including Asha Bhonsle, Falguni Pathak, Jagjit Singh and Sonu Nigam. She was one of many Bollywood stars who appeared in Haath Se Haath Mila an anti-HIV/AIDS music video.

She is also an advertising model. A high point of her modeling career was when she replaced Lisa Ray as the Lakmé Girl, but she has since been replaced by Yana Gupta. Her other notable assignments include Colgate, Limca, Vatika, Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate, and Margarita King.

Riya has appeared on the cover of a number of magazines. In 2004, she was featured partially nude in leading Indian photographer Dabboo Ratnani’s annual calendar, which is a major happening in the Indian glamor industry. In Daboo’s words, “Her mother saw it much later, after the calendar released. She thought it was too sexy, and Riya shouldn’t have done it. But the response to the photograph was superb. Riya was so thrilled that for her next ad campaign, she asked me to light her up like I did in this.” She is the only female face to be featured on the calendar on four consecutive years

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