Pooja Batra

Pooja Batra Shah (born 27 October 1975) is an Indian-American<ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref> actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder. She primarily works in Hindi films. She was the runner-up at the Femina Miss India contest in 1993 and was crowned Femina Miss India International 1993, going on to represent India at Miss International 1993.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Early life and background

Batra was born on 27 October 1975<ref name="DOB">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> to Ravi Batra, a colonel in the Indian Army,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Neelam Batra, a Miss India (1971) contestant.<ref name="rediff">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> She has two brothers.<ref name="Roshni"/> She is related to Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, a martyr decorated with India's highest military honour, the Param Vir Chakra.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Cbignore</ref>

Batra lived in Ludhiana with her extended family while she was young.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> While in school, she was an athlete and competed in the 200 and 400-meter dash.<ref name="rediff"/> She graduated in Economics<ref name="Roshni">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> from Fergusson College, Pune<ref name="bio">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="rediff" /> and holds an MBA in marketing<ref name="Roshni" /> from Symbiosis, Pune.<ref name="bio"/> She participated at the Miss International beauty pageant in 1993.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Career

At a young age, she started modelling as a part-time job. She was best known for her Liril soap commercial.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref name="bio"/> She is an ambassador for Parag Sarees.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> She is a life member of International Film And Television Club of the Asian Academy of Film & Television, Noida.

Batra has also appeared in South Indian films, including three Malayalam films<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and two Tamil films, including a cameo in the 1995 film Aasai.

In 2021, she appeared as Nandini Rajput in Squad.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Personal life

Batra married orthopaedic surgeon Sonu S. Ahluwalia on 9 February 2003 in New Delhi and moved to Los Angeles, California.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="rmr">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In January 2011, she filed for divorce in a US court, citing irreconcilable differences.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Batra revealed her relationship with actor Nawab Shah in June 2019.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> They got married on 4 July 2019 in Delhi according to Arya Samaj traditions.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Philanthropy

Batra has volunteered time and money to charitable causes including AIDS (Mukti Foundation),<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> homeless children, the Bombay Police Department and injured soldiers in the Kashmir war.Template:Citation needed

She did pro bono work in the film My Little Devil (Bas Yari Rakho),<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.Template:Citation needed

Filmography

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<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Rita Walia	Punjabi
2017	One Under the Sun	Kathryn Voss	English
	Mirror Game	Shonali	Hindi
2018	Timeless	Ananya Sirivastava	English
	The Rookie	Doctor
2020	Draupadi Unleashed<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	Mohini	English
2021	Squad	Nandini Rajput	Hindi

Awards and nominations

YearTemplate:Efn	Award	Category	Film	Result	Template:Tooltip
1998	Filmfare Awards	Best Supporting Actress	Virasat	Template:Nom	<ref name="43rd Filmfare Awards">Template:Cite news</ref>
		Best Female Debut		Template:Nom	<ref name="43rd Filmfare Awards" />
	Screen Awards	Best Supporting Actress		Template:Nom	<ref name="4th Screen Awards">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
		Most Promising Newcomer – Female		Template:Nom	<ref name="4th Screen Awards" />
	Zee Cine Awards	Best Actor in a Supporting Role – Female		Template:Nom	<ref name="1st Zee Cine Awards">Template:Cite news</ref>
		Best Female Debut		Template:Nom	<ref name="1st Zee Cine Awards" />

External links

• Template:Official website
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