[2] Rao originally hails from the Chikmagalur district of the Indian state of Karnataka.
[3][4] Rao was first signed by actor and director Sudeep 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.
A. Sharadhaa of The New Indian Express wrote, "Both Ranya and Varalaxmi play their parts well but fail to impress.
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.