# Pooja Kumar

Pooja Kumar Bhatt (née Joshi), 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 Bhatt was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Her parents, Ravinder and Nirupama Bhatt, 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 on Hum TV. After a long gap, she reappeared onscreen in the film Vishwaroopam.

## Personal life

Kumar is married to Vishal Joshi. They have a daughter, born in 2020.

## Selected filmography
### Film

List of film appearances, with year, title, and role shown :
| Year | Film | Role | Language |
| 2000 | Kadhal Rojavae | Pooja | Tamil |
| 2003 | Magic Magic 3D | Deepti | Tamil |
| 2003 | Flavors | Rachana | English |
| 2005 | Night of Henna | Hava | English |
| 2006 | Hiding Divya | Palini Shah | English |
| 2009 | Bollywood Beats | Laxmi | English |
| 2009 | Knots Urbane | Rachna | English |
| 2009 | Park Sharks | Pri | English |
| 2010 | Anything For You | Uma Krishnan | English |
| 2010 | Anjaana Anjaani | Peshto | Hindi |
| 2010 | Drawing With Chalk | Jasmine | English |
| 2012 | Man on a Ledge | Nina | English |
| 2013 | Vishwaroopam | Dr. Nirupama Viswanath | Tamil |
| 2013 | Vishwaroop | Dr. Nirupama Viswanath | Hindi |
| 2015 | Uthama Villain | Parveen/ Karpagavalli | Tamil |
| 2016 | Meen Kuzhambum Mann Paanaiyum | Mala | Tamil |
| 2017 | PSV Garuda Vega | Swathi | Telugu |
| 2017 | Brawl in Cell Block 99 | Denise Pawther | English |
| 2018 | Vishwaroopam II | Dr. Nirupama Viswanath | Tamil |
| 2018 | Vishwaroop II | Dr. Nirupama Viswanath | Hindi |
| 2020 | Forbidden Love | Anamika | Hindi |

### Television

List of television appearances, with year, title, and role shown :
| 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 |