Rishibala Naval (born 4 April 1976), known professionally as Simran, is an Indian actress, producer, choreographer and playback singer who predominantly works in Tamil language films whilst also appearing in, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada and Malayalam films.

Post her return, she has appeared in Petta (2019), Rocketry: The Nambi Effect (2022) and Gulmohar (2023), all of which performed well both commercially and critically.

[6] As a presenter on musical show Superhit Muqabla she was noticed by Jaya Bachchan, who cast her in ABCL's Tere Mere Sapne,[7] in which she received praise for her performance in the song "Aankh Maarey".

[8] She made her debut in Malayalam cinema with 1996's Indraprastham, a movie that was unsuccessful but for which Simran received praise for her performance.

[9] In 1997 she made her Kannada and Telugu debuts in Simhada Mari and Abbai Gari Pelli.

In Aval Varuvala she received positive acclaim with one reviewer stating that her performance showed "she can act".

[20] The films Yuvaraju and Seema Simham were unsuccessful,[21][22] however Simran continued to build her reputation.

Daddy saw commercial success[23] Throughout this period Simran continued a prolific career in the Tamil film industry.

[40] Simran returned to the big screen with a series of unsuccessful films such as Aaha Kalyanam (the Tamil remake of Band Baaja Baaraat) in 2014, Trisha Illana Nayanthara (2015) and Koditta Idangalai Nirappuga (2017).

[41] She followed it up with Petta, which received critical and commercial acclaim,[42] becoming the second highest grossing Tamil film of the year.

[43] In 2020 she made her streaming debut with Netflix's first Tamil film, Paava Kadhaigal,[44] receiving positive reviews.

[45] This was followed up with Mahaan which debuted on Amazon Prime Video after the pandemic meant that a theater release wouldn't be possible.

[46] It received positive reviews with M Suganth of The Times of India praising Simran and her co-stars for “memorable performances that elevate the scenes and the film”.

[56] After sharing the screen with Prashanth as the female lead, Simran starred as an antagonist in the Andhadhun remake, Andhagan (2024).

[58] Throughout her career, Simran has endorsed several brands and products such as Fanta,[59][60] Jeeva soap,[61] Kurkure,[62] Sugar Free Gold by Cadila Healthcare,[63] General Mills' Pillsbury Atta,[64] Dabur,[65] Enfagrow A+,[66] Pothys’ silk sarees,[67] Arun Ice Cream,[68] Nac Jewelers,[69] CavinKare's Chinni Masala,[70] Lion Dates,[71] Manna Go Grains,[72] Sunfeast Supermilk,[73] and Swiggy's Instamart.