Riahi entered the film industry through writing and gradually transitioned into acting. Her initial experiences in cinema were met with both promise and frustration. Her first film project, The Informant, was abruptly halted midway through production — a common occurrence in Iran’s turbulent post-revolutionary film environment, where shifting censorship policies and financial instability often disrupted creative work.
However, Riahi’s persistence paid off when she was cast in the film Autumn, which marked her official debut on the big screen. Although this early performance did not immediately propel her to fame, it opened doors to television — a medium that would soon define her career.
Her first notable television appearance came in The Patriarch (Pedar Salar), a family drama that resonated deeply with Iranian audiences for its portrayal of generational conflict and moral dilemmas. The success of The Patriarch established Riahi as a talented and reliable actress capable of balancing emotional depth with restraint — a key trait valued in the post-revolutionary Iranian media landscape, where actresses faced strict limitations on their performance style and appearance.
