Pooja Kumar

Pooja Kumar is an American actress of Indian descent who works in Tamil, Hindi, and English-language Indian films. After winning Miss India USA in 1995, she pursued a career as an actress and producer. She has appeared in a number of American films and shows, including Man on a Ledge, Brawl in Cell Block 99, Bollywood Hero, Flavors, Hiding Divya, Park Sharks, Bollywood Beats, Night of Henna, Anything for You, Drawing with Chalk, and Knots Urbane. Her Indian films include Vishwaroopam, and Vishwaroopam 2 opposite actor Kamal Haasan, and Uttama Villain. These were shot simultaneously in Hindi and Tamil. She made her Telugu debut with PSV Garuda Vega, starring Rajasekhar.

Pooja Kumar
Pooja Kumar wearing a white low-cut top, staring intently left of camera
Kumar in 2013
Born
St. Louis, Missouri, United States
OccupationActress
Years active1997–present

Early life

Kumar was born in St. Louis, Missouri.[1] Her parents immigrated from India in 1970.[2] She attended Washington University, where she graduated with degrees in political science and finance.[2] She is also trained in Indian classical dance. Kumar won Miss India USA in 1995.[2]

Career

Kumar first signed on to appear in director Keyaar's Tamil film Kadhal Rojave in 1997, but the film's production delays meant that it was only released in 2000 and her stint as an actress in the Tamil film industry went unnoticed.[3] She was earlier signed and then left out of the 1997 film V. I. P, while she had also signed to appear alongside Karthik in Chithra Lakshmanan's Chinna Raja, but was eventually dropped from the project.[4]

In 2003, she received the Screen Actors Guild Emerging Actress Award for Flavors. In 2008, she hosted a late-night live quiz show on Zee TV in India, known as Jaago Aur Jeeto. She appeared in the musical comedy miniseries Bollywood Hero on IFC in 2008. She starred opposite Saturday Night Live comedian Chris Kattan in the three-part series. In the late 2000s, she appeared in the Pakistani drama serial Ishq Junoon Deewangi on Hum TV. After a long gap, she reappeared onscreen in the film Viswaroopam.

Personal life

Kumar is married to Vishal Joshi. They have a daughter, born in 2020.[5]

Selected filmography

Film
List of film appearances, with year, title, and role shown
YearFilmRoleLanguageNotes
2000Kadhal RojavaePoojaTamil
2003Magic Magic 3DDeeptiTamil
2003FlavorsRachanaEnglish
2005Night of HennaHavaEnglish
2006Hiding DivyaPalini ShahEnglish
2009Bollywood BeatsLaxmiEnglish
Knots UrbaneRachnaEnglish
Park SharksPriEnglish
2010Anything For YouUma KrishnanEnglish
Anjaana AnjaaniPeshtoHindi
Drawing With ChalkJasmineEnglish
2012Man on a LedgeNinaEnglish
2013VishwaroopamDr. Nirupama ViswanathTamil
VishwaroopHindi
2015Uthama VillainKarpagavalliTamil
2016Meen Kuzhambum Mann PaanaiyumMalaTamil
2017PSV Garuda VegaSwathiTelugu
Brawl in Cell Block 99Denise PawtherEnglish
2018Vishwaroopam IIDr. Nirupama ViswanathTamil
Vishwaroop IIHindi
2020 Forbidden Love Anamika Hindi

Television
List of television appearances, with year, title, and role shown
Year Title Role Notes
2007 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Debbi Channor 1 episode
2011 Chuck Jinsana 1 episode
2021 Never Have I Ever Noor Qureshi 1 episode

References
  1. "Pooja Kumar Goes From St. Louis to Bollywood". St. Louis. March 20, 2015.
  2. "Miss India USA 1995 Pooja Kumar courts forbidden love in her ott outing". The Telegraph. November 3, 2020.
  3. "1997-98 Kodambakkam babies Page". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. "A-Z (Ii)". Archived from the original on January 28, 2015. Retrieved February 27, 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. "Pooja Kumar is now mom to a baby girl". The Times of India. January 2, 2021.
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