Standing five foot nine inches tall with flowing dark tresses and a Barbie doll's frame, Pooja Batra entered the public eye after being crowned Miss. India 1993. In fact, Pooja comes from a long lineage of successful beauties. Her mother, Neelam Batra is also a former beauty queen of Miss. India fame. As a child, Pooja was more of a studious athlete than a prima donna. She enjoyed debating, acting and running track.
Pooja attended the upscale Fergusson College with a major in Economics. She was studying for her Master of Business Adminstration degree when she won the Miss. India competition. Pooja had been modeling since she was a little girl just to earn part time spending cash, although her father Ravi Batra was a military hero. Ravi was wounded in the 1971 war between India and Pakistan.
Taking the 1993 crown opened a number of doors for Pooja Batra in the world of modeling. Pooja was the first Indian supermodel to lead a face to dandruff shampoo, Head and Shoulders. She also emerged as the front woman for a number of other beauty champaigns, including advertisments for Liril Active Gel and Parag Sarees. As a runway model, Pooja strutted down the over 250 catwalks in India and aboard.
Like many Indian actresses, Pooja Batra found her way from the world of high fashion and couture to the film world. She turned down a number of starring roles before signing with the Virasat Film Studio. Moviegoers loved Pooja's natural on screen presence, helping her to nab Zee Cine and Sansui awards for Best Supporting Actress for her first role on the big screen. Her second film, Bhai, was even more of a sensational success than her first.
Pooja has gone on to appear in more than twenty-one films. And she has also starred in a number of theater ventures. Big hits include, Kahin Pyar Na Ho Jaye, Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya, and Haseena Mann Jayegi. Her latest film, Tah Majal-An Eternal Love Story was a favorite at the Cannes Film Festival. She splits her time between Los Angeles, California and Mumbai. |
