# Niharica Raizada
**Niharica Raizada** (निहारिका रॉयजादा; born 1990) is an Indian and [Luxembourgish](https://www.edgepedia.org/luxembourgish) actress, producer, and qualified doctor known for supporting roles in [Hindi cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/hindi-cinema) and for a parallel career in cardiology. Born and raised in [Luxembourg](https://www.edgepedia.org/luxembourg), she is the granddaughter of the veteran Hindi film music composer O. P. Nayyar and has appeared in films including *Masaan*, *Baby*, *Total Dhamaal*, *Sooryavanshi*, and *IB 71*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7289740/) • [2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/againstallodds-niharica-raizada-if-my-grandfather-op-nayyar-was-still-alive-he-could-have-backed-me-up-in-this-industry/articleshow/83576961.cms)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1990, Luxembourg[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7289740/) |
| Family | Granddaughter of music composer O. P. Nayyar, who died in 2007[2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/againstallodds-niharica-raizada-if-my-grandfather-op-nayyar-was-still-alive-he-could-have-backed-me-up-in-this-industry/articleshow/83576961.cms) |
| Medical training | Master's in Translational Medicine at Imperial College London; cardiology research at Johns Hopkins University on a Fulbright scholarship[3](https://elcinema.com/en/person/2205338/) |
| Pageants | Miss India UK 2010; first runner-up, Miss India Worldwide 2010[4](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/niharica-raizada/1049882) |
| Film debuts | Bengali film *Damadol* (2013); Hindi debut *6-5=2* (2014)[4](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/niharica-raizada/1049882) |
| Biggest commercial films | *Sooryavanshi* (2021), India net gross ₹1,95,51,00,000, verdict Hit; *Total Dhamaal* (2019), ₹1,50,07,50,000, Hit[5](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/actor.php?actorid=11184) |
| Production | Founded Raizada Entertainments in 2025; associated with the planned 70-bed Iconic Tech Hospital under the Raizada Group[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7289740/) |
## Early life and medical education
Raizada was born in Luxembourg and completed her early education at a European School, earning the European School Baccalaureate. Her mother tongue is French.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7289740/) • [6](https://hindi.filmibeat.com/celebs/niharica-raizada.html) She then studied medicine at [Imperial College London](https://www.edgepedia.org/imperial-college-london), completing a master's in Translational Medicine with a focus on cardiology.[3](https://elcinema.com/en/person/2205338/) • [7](https://hindi.indiatimes.com/hindi/entertainment/bollywood-news/story-about-niharica-raizada-553257.html)
**Research and clinical work.** On a Fulbright scholarship she conducted cardiology research at [Johns Hopkins University](https://www.edgepedia.org/johns-hopkins-university) in Baltimore, working on stem cell approaches to repairing heart scar tissue after a heart attack.[3](https://elcinema.com/en/person/2205338/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7289740/) She has said she assisted as a second assistant on 175 on-pump bypass surgeries.[8](https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/brunch/in-bed-with-niharica-raizada-i-d-never-ask-anyone-how-old-they-are-101637419887887.html) During her academic years she collaborated with the British National Heart and [Lung Institute](https://www.edgepedia.org/lung-institute) and the [British Heart Foundation](https://www.edgepedia.org/british-heart-foundation) on public health advocacy, including efforts to prevent parents from smoking cigarettes in cars with young children.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7289740/) A 2018 magazine profile reported that when not acting she served as head of department of a heart institute in a major Mumbai hospital.[9](https://eshe.in/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/eshe-june-2018-mobile.pdf)
## Pageants, modeling, and acting training
Her entry into entertainment came through pageantry. She was crowned Miss India UK 2010 and was first runner-up at Miss India Worldwide 2010, and she was selected for I Am She, the beauty pageant run by [Sushmita Sen](https://www.edgepedia.org/sushmita-sen), representing Delhi.[4](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/niharica-raizada/1049882) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7289740/) After winning the Signature Model Hunt she walked for Indian designers including Tarun Tahiliani, Manoviraj Khosla, and Sabyasachi.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7289740/) She trained in acting at the [New York Film Academy](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-york-film-academy) and is also trained in western classical music and ballet.[3](https://elcinema.com/en/person/2205338/) • [4](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/niharica-raizada/1049882)
## Acting career
**Debuts.** She first appeared on screen in the Bengali film *Damadol* (2013), performing an item number, *Gorom Cha*, that its director Manoj Michigan publicly praised.[4](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/niharica-raizada/1049882) Her Hindi debut came with the found-footage horror film *6-5=2* (2014), in which she played a model named Priya.[4](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/niharica-raizada/1049882) • [10](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/niharica-raizada-i-like-to-be-in-the-limelight/articleshow/45123974.cms) She then appeared in *Masaan*, *[Alone](https://www.edgepedia.org/alone-2015-hindi-film)*, and *Baby* (all 2015), the last in a small role as an anchorwoman.[4](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/niharica-raizada/1049882) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7289740/)
**Commercial films.** *Waarrior Savitri* (2016), a modern adaptation of the Satyavan Savitri fable, gave her her first lead role, opposite [Om Puri](https://www.edgepedia.org/om-puri) and Gulshan Grover.[4](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/niharica-raizada/1049882) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7289740/) She appeared in the ensemble comedy *Total Dhamaal* (2019) alongside [Anil Kapoor](https://www.edgepedia.org/anil-kapoor), Ajay Devgn, and [Madhuri Dixit](https://www.edgepedia.org/madhuri-dixit).[11](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/total-dhamaal-niharica-raizada-anil-kapoor-5197362/) Her most prominent role to date is Tara in Rohit Shetty's *Sooryavanshi* (2021), an officer in an anti-terrorist female squad opposite Akshay Kumar; she has described it as her biggest role.[7](https://hindi.indiatimes.com/hindi/entertainment/bollywood-news/story-about-niharica-raizada-553257.html) • [2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/againstallodds-niharica-raizada-if-my-grandfather-op-nayyar-was-still-alive-he-could-have-backed-me-up-in-this-industry/articleshow/83576961.cms) She followed with *IB 71* (2023), playing an air hostess who is an IB agent.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7289740/)
By her own count in a 2021 interview she had made 14 films, and a 2020 profile put the total at 16.[2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/againstallodds-niharica-raizada-if-my-grandfather-op-nayyar-was-still-alive-he-could-have-backed-me-up-in-this-industry/articleshow/83576961.cms) • [12](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/hindi/2020/Nov/10/niharica-raizada-on-leaving-a-medicine-career-in-uk-for-bollywood-2221918.html) Box Office India lists her four widest releases as *Sooryavanshi* (Hit), *Total Dhamaal* (Hit), *Warrior Savitri* (Disaster, ₹900,000 net), and *6-5=2* (Disaster, ₹8,300,000 net).[5](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/actor.php?actorid=11184)
**Independent and international work.** Her independent film *Mercy*, in which she plays Jiya, was selected at international film festivals in [Stuttgart](https://www.edgepedia.org/stuttgart), Melbourne, Barcelona, and Chicago before its April 2026 release; the film deals with passive euthanasia, and she has discussed it alongside the legacy of her grandfather.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7289740/) • [13](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/etimes/bollywood/niharica-raizada-on-mercy-passive-euthanasia-carrying-forward-op-nayyars-legacy/videoshow/130674817.cms) • [14](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/celebrity/niharica-raizada/filmography/) She has also been associated with German cinema through *Himbeeren mit Senf* and with the 2025 project *Madame Cama*, planned between Stuttgart and Mumbai to build India-Germany cinematic collaboration.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7289740/)
## Production and business ventures
In 2025 she established Raizada Entertainments, marking a move into content creation and production, and released the music video *Ishqbaazi* in memory of her grandfather.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7289740/) Beyond entertainment, she has been associated with development plans for Iconic Tech Hospital, a specialized 70-bed interventional radiology facility under the Raizada Group.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7289740/)
## The two careers
Raizada has described leading a dual life as cardiologist and actress, saying her parents wanted her to dedicate herself fully to medicine while she felt drawn to performance since childhood.[2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/againstallodds-niharica-raizada-if-my-grandfather-op-nayyar-was-still-alive-he-could-have-backed-me-up-in-this-industry/articleshow/83576961.cms) She has said she intends, after establishing herself as an actor, to devote herself fully to medical service, and has named producing and directing films among her goals.[2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/againstallodds-niharica-raizada-if-my-grandfather-op-nayyar-was-still-alive-he-could-have-backed-me-up-in-this-industry/articleshow/83576961.cms) • [8](https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/brunch/in-bed-with-niharica-raizada-i-d-never-ask-anyone-how-old-they-are-101637419887887.html) During the COVID-19 crisis she reported treating patients while awaiting the release of *Sooryavanshi*.[2](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/againstallodds-niharica-raizada-if-my-grandfather-op-nayyar-was-still-alive-he-could-have-backed-me-up-in-this-industry/articleshow/83576961.cms)
## References
1. [Niharica Raizada, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7289740/)
2. [#AgainstAllOdds! Niharica Raizada: If my grandfather OP Nayyar was still alive..., Times of India (June 17, 2021)](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/againstallodds-niharica-raizada-if-my-grandfather-op-nayyar-was-still-alive-he-could-have-backed-me-up-in-this-industry/articleshow/83576961.cms)
3. [Niharica Raizada biography, El Cinema](https://elcinema.com/en/person/2205338/)
4. [Niharica Raizada, BookMyShow](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/niharica-raizada/1049882)
5. [Niharica Raizada box office, Box Office India](https://www.boxofficeindia.com/actor.php?actorid=11184)
6. [निहारिका रॉयजादा biography, Filmibeat Hindi](https://hindi.filmibeat.com/celebs/niharica-raizada.html)
7. [Akshay Kumar की फिल्म सूर्यवंशी में नजर आने वाली Niharica Raizada कौन हैं?, India Times Hindi](https://hindi.indiatimes.com/hindi/entertainment/bollywood-news/story-about-niharica-raizada-553257.html)
8. [In Bed With Niharica Raizada, Hindustan Times Brunch (November 20, 2021)](https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/brunch/in-bed-with-niharica-raizada-i-d-never-ask-anyone-how-old-they-are-101637419887887.html)
9. [Celebrity profile, eShe magazine, June 2018](https://eshe.in/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/eshe-june-2018-mobile.pdf)
10. [Niharica Raizada: I like to be in the limelight, Times of India (November 13, 2014)](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/bollywood/news/niharica-raizada-i-like-to-be-in-the-limelight/articleshow/45123974.cms)
11. [Total Dhamaal actor Niharica Raizada on Anil Kapoor, The Indian Express (May 30, 2018)](https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/total-dhamaal-niharica-raizada-anil-kapoor-5197362/)
12. [Niharica Raizada on leaving a medicine career in UK for Bollywood, The New Indian Express (November 10, 2020)](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/hindi/2020/Nov/10/niharica-raizada-on-leaving-a-medicine-career-in-uk-for-bollywood-2221918.html)
13. [Niharica Raizada on Mercy, passive euthanasia and OP Nayyar's legacy, Times of India video (May 2, 2026)](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/etimes/bollywood/niharica-raizada-on-mercy-passive-euthanasia-carrying-forward-op-nayyars-legacy/videoshow/130674817.cms)
14. [Niharica Raizada filmography, Bollywood Hungama](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/celebrity/niharica-raizada/filmography/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Film people and crafts › Film actors and performers › Indian and South Asian film actors by industry and language › Hindi film actors, 2010s onward › Surnames R to T*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 18, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license