At a time when social media following and digital visibility often influence casting conversations, Riva Arora has chosen to reinvent her online presence. The actress recently archived all her old Instagram posts, consciously moving away from lip-sync and creator-driven content to focus entirely on acting as she prepares for the next phase of her career.

Explaining the decision, Riva says, “I think growth sometimes needs a reset. Archiving my posts wasn’t about erasing anything; it was about realigning with who I am today. I started very young, and over time you evolve not just as an artiste, but as a person. I wanted my social media to reflect my current phase, my mindset, and the kind of work I want to be associated with going forward.”

Having started acting at a young age, the actress believes growing up on film sets shaped both her personality and craft. Riva, who has been part of films like Uri: The Surgical Strike, Bharat, Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl and Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota, says, “It gave me discipline and a natural ease in front of the camera, something I’m really grateful for. I’ve grown up on sets, so they’ve always felt like home. They also taught me how to observe people closely, which has helped me immensely as an actor. One thing that has stayed with me is watching even the most experienced actors continue to learn. That made me realise you can never feel like you ‘know it all’.”

Over the years, Riva has also found herself at the centre of online scrutiny, including discussions around her age. While she acknowledges that public attention can sometimes become overwhelming, the actress says she has learned to focus on constructive criticism while distancing herself from negativity. 

She says, “I try not to let unnecessary noise affect me too much. When you grow up in the public eye, people will always have opinions and assumptions. I value constructive criticism because it helps me grow both as a person and as an actor. But when comments come from a place of trolling or pulling someone down, they do take a toll on one’s mental health. That’s why I focus on protecting my peace and concentrating on my work. Over time, what truly matters is the consistency and sincerity you bring to your craft.”

Now actively auditioning and preparing for her next chapter, Riva says the time away from constantly creating online content helped her refine her craft and gain clarity about the kind of work she wants to pursue.

“This period has been very important for me. It was all about evolving, not stopping. I’ve used this time to work on myself and refine my craft, and I’m now very clear about the kind of characters I want to take on. I’m looking at roles that challenge me, push boundaries and truly showcase me as an actor. Going forward, it’s less about doing more and more about doing better,” she concludes.

A recent video of actor Riva Arora (12), in which she was seen romancing 38-year-old actor Karan Kundrra, left social media users infuriated. They blasted Arora and her mother for the choice of her role. Amid all this, actor Avika Gor, who also began her career as a child actor, weighs in on the controversy.

Gor recalls, “When I did Sasural Simar Ka, I was paired with Manish Raisinghan, who was 18 years older than me. However, everyone in the team — including the writers — were clear that there wouldn’t be a romance [or any other scene] that seemed out of place. Everything was within limits. None of my scenes had any intimacy and they (makers of the show) respected the fact that I was a 14-year-old.”

Now 25, the actor talks about the time when she and the show’s creators faced criticism for casting her opposite a 30-year-old male. She continues, “Age becomes a concern when scenes start looking vulgar and start becoming unhealthy for the kid. All kinds of things about the pairing were said, but the only response the writers and I had was — there is no vulgarity or intimacy because of the fact that I was young.”

Citing the example of the film Paa (2009), in which Vidya Balan played Amitabh Bachchan’s mother, she adds, “Age shouldn’t matter if things are done respectfully,” she concludes.