She made her debut in Tamil cinema, playing the lead role opposite Vijay in Shajahan. The film was appreciated by critics and Richa's performance was noted to have "done little good".. The Hindu. 23 November 2001 Her second Tamil film was Alli Arjuna, directed by noted film maker Saran featuring Manoj Bharathiraja. Richa played the role of an independent girl being romantically pursued by Manoj, but once again received unfavourable reviews with reviewers citing that "you do not feel for Richa".rediff.com, Movies: The review of Alli Arjuna. Rediff.com (15 February 2002). Retrieved 14 April 2012.
