4 min readKochiJun 24, 2026 08:10 PM IST
Although Saniya Iyappan rose to fame as an actor, those familiar with her career trajectory know that she had made a name for herself even before stepping into Tinseltown. In fact, she first gained prominence in Kerala as a contestant on the dance reality series D4 Dance Season 2, where she finished as the second runner-up. She subsequently entered movies as a child artiste before making her debut as a leading lady in director Dijo Jose Antony’s Queen (2018).
While she has since appeared in several films, dance remains close to Saniya’s heart, and she tries not to miss opportunities to perform on stage. Although she frequently performs in international shows, the actor recently admitted that she does fewer shows in Kerala, and insisted that this was a conscious decision. Saniya shared that the discomfort she faced during certain events prompted her to make this decision.
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Why Saniya Iyappan stepped away from dance shows in Kerala
“I do very few dance shows in my home state now. First of all, we get high-quality shows here only rarely. Since it’s a dance performance, I have to consider the crowd and the environment as well. I also have to consider the event’s purpose. That is why I have cut back. Earlier, I used to perform at corporate events. They serve alcohol there. After a certain point, the guests would come and start dancing right in front of the stage. I am not comfortable with that,” she shared during a conversation with Vanitha.
Saniya continued, “We dance out of respect for what we do, don’t we? There is no need to perform at a venue where that respect is lacking. That is how I decided to reduce such shows. I decided to stick to award shows and other good quality programmes. Those are rare in our state. Most of the offers now come from Malayali associations in different countries, and I travel abroad to perform. I don’t do them here because I don’t get good shows.”
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Since Queen, she has appeared in movies such as Pretham 2 (2018), Lucifer (2019), The Priest (2021), Salute (2022), Saturday Night (2022), Sorgavaasal (2024), and L2: Empuraan (2025), among others. Besides movies, Saniya is also known for her social media presence, often sharing glimpses of her life with her fans worldwide.
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‘I earn more through Instagram than movies’: Saniya hits back at trolls
However, her posts featuring photos and videos of her trips to various locations have, many times, drawn criticism from a section of netizens who wonder how she manages to travel so often despite receiving fewer projects than her contemporaries. During the interview, the actor addressed trolls, explaining how she manages them.
“I actually earn more through Instagram than from movies. I do a lot of collaborations, and I’m paid a set fee for those reels. Some of my trips are entirely sponsored — I post content for them in return. I’ve had some pretty good trips that way. I travelled extensively in 2024,” she revealed.
Upcoming international shows with Mohanlal and Manju Warrier
However, over the past few months, she has been focused on certain stage shows. “From the end of 2025 till now, I have been doing several good projects. I am doing a show with Mohanlal sir in London, Germany, and Ireland. In September, I have a show with Chackochan (Kunchacko Boban) and Manju chechi (Manju Warrier). We will be in the US for a month,” she said.
Saniya further noted that her dance skills have been the key to garnering such opportunities. “By God’s grace, it is because of dance that I’ve been able to travel so much and perform in various places. Isn’t that a huge blessing? We don’t have to worry about anything; the organisers take care of everything,” she added.
While she has since appeared in several films, dance remains close to Saniya Iyappan's heart. (Credit: Instagram/@_saniya_iyappan_)