Pooja Kumar
Pooja Kumar is an Indian American actress 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" opposite actor Kamal Haasan, and "Uttama Villain". These were shot simultaneously in Hindi and Tamil . She made her Telugu debut with "PSV Garuda Vega", starring Rajasekhar. Early life. Kumar was born in St. Louis, Missouri. Her parents 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 "Viswaroopam". Personal life. Kumar is married to Vishal Joshi. They have a daughter born in 2020.