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, and she made her Telugu-language debut with PSV Garuda Vega.
Early life Pooja Kumar was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Her parents, Ravinder and Nirupama, immigrated from India in 1970. She attended Washington University, where she graduated with degrees in political science and finance. She is also trained in Indian classical dance. Kumar won Miss India USA in 1995.
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. 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.
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 (2009). After a long gap, she reappeared onscreen in the film 2013 Vishwaroopam.
Personal life Kumar is married to Vishal Joshi. They have a daughter, born in 2020.
Selected filmography
Film + Year Film Role Language Notes2000 Kadhal Rojavae Pooja Tamil2003 Magic Magic 3D Deepti Tamil 2003 Flavors Rachana English 2005 Night of Henna Hava English2006 Hiding Divya Palini Shah English2009 Bollywood Beats Laxmi English Knots Urbane Rachna English Park Sharks Pri English2010 Anything For You Uma Krishnan English Anjaana Anjaani Peshto Hindi Drawing With Chalk Jasmine English2012 Man on a Ledge Nina English2013 Vishwaroopam Dr. Nirupama Viswanath Tamil Vishwaroop Hindi 2015 Uthama Villain Parveen/ Karpagavalli Tamil 2016 Meen Kuzhambum Mann Paanaiyum Mala Tamil 2017 PSV Garuda Vega Swathi Telugu Brawl in Cell Block 99 Denise Pawther English2018 Vishwaroopam II Dr. Nirupama Viswanath Tamil Vishwaroop II Hindi 2020Forbidden LoveAnamikaHindi
Television + 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
External links
"Pooja Kumar the face of Bombay Dreams" Rediff – February 10, 2004 Rohit, Parimal M. "Pooja Kumar – The New Heroine: Rising Star Ready for Primetime with 'Bollywood Hero'", Bollywood Buzzine July 2009