Pooja Batra | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | |
| Occupation | Actress, model |
| Title | Femina Miss India International 1993 |
| Spouse(s) |
|
| Beauty pageant titleholder | |
| Major competition(s) | Femina Miss India (Miss India 3) (Miss India International) Miss International 1993 (Semi-finalist) |
Pooja Batra is an Indian actress and model. She was crowned Femina Miss India International in 1993.
Early life and background[edit]
Batra was born to Ravi Batra, an army colonel[2] and Neelam Batra, a Miss India (1971) participant.[3] She lived in Ludhiana with her extended family while she was young.[4] While in school, she was an athlete and competed in the 200 and 400-meter dash.[3]
She graduated in Economics[5] from Fergusson College, Pune[6][3] and holds an MBA in marketing[5] from Symbiosis, Pune.[6] She has two brothers.[5] She became the third runner-up at the Miss Asia Pacific in 1993, when she was 18 years old.[7]
Career[edit]
At a young age, she started modelling as a part-time job. She was best known for her Liril soap commercial.[8] She was the first Indian face to launch and be a spokesperson for Head and Shoulders in India. She has participated in over 250 modeling events and ad campaigns. She shot to fame when she was crowned Miss India International in 1993.[9] She went on to become one of the top models in India. She walked the ramp for over 250 fashion shows in India and overseas.[6] She is an ambassador for Parag Sarees.[10]
Batra turned down many offers to complete her education before signing a contract with the Virasat Film Studio. The first film she signed was Virasat in 1997 followed by another hit movie Bhai.[11] She went on to work in over 20 films including Haseena Maan Jayegi, Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya and Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye. One of her films, Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story, a historical epic, was shown at the Cannes film festival in 2004.[12] She is a life member of International Film And Television Club of Asian Academy of Film & Television, Noida.
Batra has also appeared in South Indian films, including three Malayalam films[13] and two Tamil films, including a cameo in the 1995 film Aasai.
Batra has acted in theater and toured North America, which earned her considerable acclaim.
She appeared at the 2009 Academy Awards in Los Angeles, where she reunited with her Virasat costar, Anil Kapoor.
She is set to appear as Nandini Rajput in the upcoming movie Squad.
Personal life[edit]
Batra was married to orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Sonu S. Ahluwalia in Los Angeles, California from 2002 to 2010.[1] In January 2011 she filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.[14]
Batra revealed her relationship with actor Nawab Shah in June 2019.[15][16] They got married on 4 July 2019 in Delhi according to Arya Samaj traditions.[17][18]
Philanthropy[edit]
Batra has volunteered time and money to charitable causes including AIDS (Mukti Foundation),[19] homeless children, the Bombay Police Department and injured soldiers in the Kashmir war.
She did pro bono work in the film My Little Devil (Bas Yari Rakho), subtitled in Hindi, English and French, to raise funds for the poor children in India. The film was co-produced by NFDC-La Fete (Canada) and directed by Gopi Desai. It was screened at the 24th Annual Montreal World Film Festival, 2000; Chicago International Children's Film Festival, 2000; 10th Annual Philadelphia Film Festival of World Cinema, 2001; and the Indian Film Festival in Malaysia, 2005.
Filmography[edit]
| Year | Film | Role | Language |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Aasai | Guest appearance | Tamil |
| Sisindri | Herself | Telugu | |
| 1997 | Vishwavidhaata | Poonam | Hindi |
| Virasat | Anita | Hindi | |
| Bhai | Pooja | Hindi | |
| Chandralekha | Lekha | Malayalam | |
| 1998 | Sham Ghansham | Roopa | Hindi |
| Saazish | Rachel | Hindi | |
| Greeku Veerudu | Sirisha | Telugu | |
| 1999 | Megham | Swati | Malayalam |
| Oruvan | Kalpana | Tamil | |
| Haseena Maan Jaayegi | Pooja Verma | Hindi | |
| 2000 | Bas Yaari Rakho | Pratibha | Hindi |
| Daivathinte Makan | Sonia | Malayalam | |
| Kandukondain Kandukondain | Nandhini Varma | Tamil | |
| Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye | Mona | Hindi | |
| 2001 | Ittefaq | Roshni Hiranandani | Hindi |
| Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya | Sonia Chopra | Hindi | |
| Farz | Seductress | Hindi | |
| Kuch Khatti Kuch Meethi | Savitri | Hindi | |
| Jodi No.1 | Casino dancer | Hindi | |
| Nayak: The Real Hero | Laila | Hindi | |
| 2003 | Talaash: The Hunt Begins | Kamini | Hindi |
| Parwana | Parwana's associate | Hindi | |
| 2005 | Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story | Noor Jahan | Hindi |
| 2011 | Hum Tum Shabana | Puja | Hindi |
| 2015 | ABCD 2 | Pooja Kohli | Hindi |
| 2016 | Killer Punjabi [20] | Rita Walia | Punjabi |
| 2017 | One Under the Sun | Kathryn Voss | |
| 2017 | Mirror Game | Shonali | Hindi |
Television[edit]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | SEAL Team | Anita | Season 2 Episode 21 |
Awards and nominations[edit]
| Year | Film | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Virasat | Filmfare Award | Best Female Debut | Nominated |
| Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | |||
| Screen Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Won | ||
| Zee Cine Awards | Best Female Debut | Nominated | ||
| Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Female | Nominated | |||
| 2006 | Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story | Screen Awards | Best Actress | Nominated |
References[edit]
- ^ a b "A Healthy Mantra – Pooja Batra". 10 January 2009. Archived from the original on 18 March 2009. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
- ^ Tiwari, Nimisha (13 August 2009). "What's Pooja Batra doing in Mumbai!". The Times of India. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
- ^ a b c "'I'm not his ex, Akshay Kumar is my ex'". Rediff. 25 June 1997. Retrieved 1 May2016.
- ^ Vashisht-Kumar, Divya (7 March 2016). "Pooja Batra Makes Heads Turn in Action Thriller 'Killer Punjabi': Watch Trailer". India-West. Retrieved 17 July 2016.
- ^ a b c ""To those interested in entering the entertainment world: believe in yourself, have the chops, and be ready to work hard."—Pooja Batra" (PDF). Roshni Media Group. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
- ^ a b c "Biography". Poojabatra.com. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
- ^ "Miss Indias who made it to Bollywood". The Times of India. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
- ^ "40 Years Ago and now: The Liril Girl showed how to target a state of mind". Rediff. 16 October 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
- ^ "Pooja Batra – 2000-1991! – Miss India Winners 2009-1964 – Archives – Femina Miss India". Indiatimes. Retrieved 11 July 2011.
- ^ Srinivasan, V S (18 March 1997). "Beguiling babe". Rediff. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
- ^ "Good show". India Today. 31 May 1997. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
- ^ Ruhani, Faheem (9 September 2005). "Mughal premiere for 'Taj Mahal' in London". DNA. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
- ^ Gupta, Rakhee (18 January 2001). "Pooja Batra: Back to Bollywood". The Tribune. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
- ^ "Pooja Batra wants out". Mid-Day. 28 January 2011. Retrieved 28 January 2011.
- ^ "Pooja Batra finds her soulmate in Tiger Zinda Hai actor Nawab Shah. See their pics here". Hindustan Times. 19 June 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- ^ "Actors Pooja Batra and Nawab Shah find soulmates in each other! See photos". DNA India. 19 June 2019. Retrieved 19 June 2019.
- ^ "Pooja Batra confirms marrying Nawab Shah: 'He is the man I want to spend rest of my life with'. See pics". Hindustan Times. 15 July 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
- ^ "Pooja Batra on marriage with Nawab Shah: He was ready to propose to me right after we met". India Today. 15 July 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
- ^ Verma, Sukanya (15 December 2000). "Mukti foundation AIDS concert". Rediff.com. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
- ^ "Pooja Batra makes debut in Punjabi films". The Indian Express. Press Trust of India. 29 April 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
External links[edit]
 | Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pooja Batra. |
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