Pooja Batra | |
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![]() Pooja Batra in 2023 | |
Born | |
Occupations |
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Spouses |
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Beauty pageant titleholder | |
Title | Femina Miss India International 1993 |
Years active | 1993-present |
Major competition(s) | Femina Miss India (Miss India 3) (Miss India International) Miss International 1993 (Semi-finalist) |
Pooja Batra Shah (born 27 October 1975) is an Indian-American [3] actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder. She primarily works in Hindi films. She won the runner-up title at the Femina Miss India contest in 1993 and was crowned Femina Miss India International 1993 and represented India at Miss International 1993. [4]
Batra was born on 27 October 1975 [5] [6] to Ravi Batra, a colonel in the Indian Army, [7] and Neelam Batra, a Miss India (1971) participant. [8] She has two brothers. [9] She is related to Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, a martyr decorated with India's highest military honour, the Param Vir Chakra. [10]
Batra lived in Ludhiana with her extended family while she was young. [11] While in school, she was an athlete and competed in the 200 and 400-meter dash. [8] She graduated in Economics [9] from Fergusson College, Pune [12] [8] and holds an MBA in marketing [9] from Symbiosis, Pune. [12] She participated at the Miss International beauty pageant in 1993. [13]
At a young age, she started modelling as a part-time job. She was best known for her Liril soap commercial. [14] She was the first Indian face to launch and be a spokesperson for Head & Shoulders in India. She has participated in over 250 modelling events and ad campaigns. She shot to fame when she was crowned Miss India International in 1993. [15] 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. [12] She is an ambassador for Parag Sarees. [16]
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 film Bhai . [17] 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. [18] 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 [19] and two Tamil films, including a cameo in the 1995 film Aasai .
Batra married orthopaedic surgeon Sonu S. Ahluwalia on 9 February 2003 in New Delhi and moved to Los Angeles, California. [21] [1] In January 2011, she filed for divorce in a US court, citing irreconcilable differences. [22] [23]
Batra revealed her relationship with actor Nawab Shah in June 2019. [24] [25] They got married on 4 July 2019 in Delhi according to Arya Samaj traditions. [26] [27]
Batra has volunteered time and money to charitable causes including AIDS (Mukti Foundation), [28] homeless children, the Bombay Police Department and injured soldiers in the Kashmir war.[ citation needed ]
She did pro bono work in the film My Little Devil (Bas Yari Rakho), [29] 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 Films Festival in Malaysia, 2005.[ citation needed ]
Year | Film | Role | Language |
---|---|---|---|
1995 | Aasai | Guest appearance | Tamil |
Sisindri | Herself | Telugu | |
1997 | Vishwavidhaata | Poonam | Hindi |
Virasat | Anita | ||
Bhai | Pooja | ||
Chandralekha | Lekha | Malayalam | |
1998 | Sham Ghansham | Roopa | Hindi |
Saazish | Rachel | ||
Greeku Veerudu | Sirisha | Telugu | |
1999 | Megham | Swati | Malayalam |
Oruvan | Kalpana | Tamil | |
Haseena Maan Jaayegi | Pooja Verma | Hindi | |
2000 | Bas Yaari Rakho | Pratibha | |
Daivathinte Makan | Sonia | Malayalam | |
Kandukondain Kandukondain | Nandhini Varma | Tamil | |
Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye | Mona | Hindi | |
2001 | Ittefaq | Roshni Hiranandani | |
Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya | Sonia Chopra | ||
Farz | Seductress | ||
Kuch Khatti Kuch Meethi | Savitri | ||
Jodi No.1 | Casino dancer | ||
Nayak: The Real Hero | Reporter Laila | ||
2003 | Talaash: The Hunt Begins | Kamini Arora | |
Parwana | Parwana's associate | ||
2005 | Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story | Noor Jahan | |
2011 | Hum Tum Shabana | Puja | |
2015 | ABCD 2 | Pooja Kohli | |
2016 | Killer Punjabi [30] | Rita Walia | Punjabi |
2017 | One Under the Sun | Kathryn Voss | English |
Mirror Game | Shonali | Hindi | |
2018 | The Rookie | Doctor | English |
2020 | Draupadi Unleashed [31] | Mohini | English |
2021 | Squad | Nandini Rajput | Hindi |
Year [a] | Award | Category | Film | Result | Ref. |
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1998 | Filmfare Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Virasat | Nominated | [32] |
Best Female Debut | Nominated | [32] | |||
Screen Awards | Best Supporting Actress | Nominated | [33] | ||
Most Promising Newcomer – Female | Nominated | [33] | |||
Zee Cine Awards | Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Female | Nominated | [34] | ||
Best Female Debut | Nominated | [34] |