# Ranya Rao

Harshavardhini Ranya (born 28 May 1993), known professionally as Ranya Rao, is an Indian actress, model and convicted criminal who appears in Kannada films. She made her debut with the 2014 Kannada film, Maanikya.

## Early life

Harshavardhini Ranya was born on 28 May 1993. She originally hails from the Chikmagalur district in Karnataka, India. After completing her schooling in Bangalore, Rao pursued acting with accreditation in acting.

## Career

Rao was first signed by actor and director Sudeepa in April 2014 for his directorial Kannada film, Maanikya. She was cast as Manasa in a supporting role, portraying a girl belonging to a rich Indian family and Sudeep's love interest. Her performance received mixed reviews from critics. A. Sharadhaa of The New Indian Express wrote, "Both Ranya and Varalaxmi play their parts well but fail to impress."
In June 2015, Rao signed her second film and first Tamil film, Wagah She was cast opposite Vikram Prabhu, her first as a female lead. In her first release of 2017, a comedy Pataki, in Kannada, she played a journalist Sangeetha, the love interest of a police officer played by Ganesh.

## Controversy
### Gold smuggling case

On 3 March 2025, Ranya Rao, the stepdaughter of Karnataka’s Director General of Police, Dr. K Ramachandra Rao, was arrested by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) along with her husband Jatin Hukkeri who is an architect.
Rao was intercepted at Bengaluru airport after arriving on Emirates flight EK 566 from Dubai. While attempting to pass through the green channel at the airport, the actor claimed that she was not carrying any dutiable goods, gold, or contraband, but a metal detector alerted officers to concealed items. Upon inspection, Rao was found to have wrapped 14.2 kg of 24-karat gold around her waist and calves, with additional pieces hidden in her shoes and pockets. The gold was valued at over ₹12.56 crore.
The DRI had been monitoring her due to her frequent travels, including 27 trips to Dubai in six months prior to arrest. She initially claimed these trips were for business and photography purposes. The DRI revealed that the gold smuggling operation involved a larger syndicate and that Rao had received assistance from a State Protocol Officer, who was also part of the racket. Rao was apprehended just before exiting the airport. According to DRI officials, Ranya Rao made 52 trips to Dubai between 2023 and March 2025.
She was sent to Bangalore Central Prison for 14 days of judicial custody under the 1962 Customs Act. During questioning, Rao admitted to smuggling gold for the first time. She collected the gold at Dubai Airport from an unidentified man in a white gown, concealed it on her body using adhesive tape, and hid some in her shoes and pockets. Rao confessed to using YouTube videos to plan the smuggling.
A search of her Bengaluru home uncovered ₹2.06 crore in gold jewelry and ₹2.67 crore in cash. Rao also held a UAE Resident Identity Card, and the DRI was investigating hawala money transfers related to her activities.

## Filmography

Key :
| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
| Year | Film | Language | Role | Notes |
| 2014 | Maanikya | Kannada | Manasa | Debut movie, credited as Ranya |
| 2016 | Wagah | Tamil | Khanum/Kajal | |
| 2017 | Pataki | Kannada | Sangeetha | |