{{Short description|American actress}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}} {{Use Indian English|date=February 2016}} {{Infobox person | name = Pooja Kumar | image = Pooja Kumar at Promotions of 'Vishwaroop' with Videocon (01) (cropped).jpg | alt = Pooja Kumar wearing a white low-cut top, staring intently left of camera | caption = Kumar in 2013 | birth_date = | birth_place = St. Louis, Missouri, US | spouse = {{marriage|Vishal Joshi|October 17, 1999}}<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/pooja-kumar-is-now-mom-to-a-baby-girl/articleshow/80066410.cms?from=mdr|title=Pooja Kumar is now mom to a baby girl|newspaper=The Times of India |date=January 2, 2021}}</ref> | children = 1<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://jfwonline.com/article/congratulations-vishwaroopam-actress-pooja-kumar-blessed-with-a-baby-girl/|title=Congratulations: Vishwaroopam Actress Pooja Kumar Blessed with a Baby Girl!}}</ref> | other_names = | occupation = Actress | years_active = 1997–present | known_for = }}
'''Pooja Kumar''' 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 was born in St. Louis, Missouri.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.stlmag.com/news/Pooja-Kumar-St-Louis-Bollywood/ |publisher=St. Louis |date=March 20, 2015 |title=Pooja Kumar Goes From St. Louis to Bollywood}}</ref> Her parents, Ravinder and Nirupama, immigrated from India in 1970.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.seema.com/everything-you-want-to-know-about-pooja-kumar/|title=Everything You Want to Know About Pooja Kumar|first=Habibur|last=Shohon|date=December 28, 2022}}</ref><ref name=Tele/> She attended Washington University, where she graduated with degrees in political science and finance.<ref name=Tele/> She is also trained in Indian classical dance. Kumar won Miss India USA in 1995.<ref name=Tele>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/entertainment/miss-india-usa-1995-pooja-kumar-courts-forbidden-love-in-her-ott-outing/cid/1796414 |work=The Telegraph |date=November 3, 2020 |title=Miss India USA 1995 Pooja Kumar courts forbidden love in her ott outing}}</ref>
==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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.indolink.com/tamil/cinema/People/97/Dec/kuttisp1.htm |title=1997-98 Kodambakkam babies Page |access-date=February 16, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303201551/http://indolink.com/tamil/cinema/People/97/Dec/kuttisp1.htm |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |url-status=usurped}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.indolink.com/tamil/cinema/Specials/97/Oct/a-z/atoz-2.htm |title=A-Z (Ii) |access-date=February 27, 2015 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128025921/http://www.indolink.com/tamil/cinema/Specials/97/Oct/a-z/atoz-2.htm |archive-date=January 28, 2015 }}</ref>
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'' (2009). After a long gap, she reappeared onscreen in the film 2013 ''Vishwaroopam''.
==Personal life== Kumar is married to Vishal Joshi. They have a daughter, born in 2020.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/pooja-kumar-is-now-mom-to-a-baby-girl/articleshow/80066410.cms |work=The Times of India |title=Pooja Kumar is now mom to a baby girl |date=January 2, 2021}}</ref>
==Selected filmography== <!-- Rowspans are only allowed for the "Year" column, per WP:FILMOGRAPHY -->
===Film=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |+ {{Sronly|List of film appearances, with year, title, and role shown}} |- ! Year !! Film !! Role !! Language !! Notes |- |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|| |- |rowspan="3"|2009 || ''Bollywood Beats'' || Laxmi ||English|| |- | ''Knots Urbane'' || Rachna ||English|| |- | ''Park Sharks'' || Pri ||English|| |- |rowspan="3"|2010 ||''Anything For You'' || Uma Krishnan ||English|| |- | ''Anjaana Anjaani'' || Peshto || Hindi|| |- | ''Drawing With Chalk'' || Jasmine || English|| |- |rowspan="1"|2012 || ''Man on a Ledge'' ||Nina || English|| |- |rowspan="2"|2013 || ''Vishwaroopam'' || rowspan="2" | Dr. Nirupama Viswanath || Tamil || |- | ''Vishwaroop'' || Hindi || |- |rowspan="1"|2015|| ''Uthama Villain'' || Parveen/ Karpagavalli ||Tamil || |- |rowspan="1"|2016 || ''Meen Kuzhambum Mann Paanaiyum'' || Mala || Tamil || |- |rowspan="2"|2017 || ''PSV Garuda Vega'' || Swathi || Telugu || |- | ''Brawl in Cell Block 99'' || Denise Pawther|| English|| |- |rowspan="2"|2018 || ''Vishwaroopam II'' || rowspan=2|Dr. Nirupama Viswanath || Tamil || |- |''Vishwaroop II'' || Hindi || |- |2020 |''Forbidden Love'' |Anamika |Hindi | |}
===Television=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |+ {{Sronly|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 |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{commons category}} * {{IMDb name|1136881}} * [http://inhome.rediff.com/movies/2004/feb/10lead.htm "Pooja Kumar the face of Bombay Dreams"] Rediff – February 10, 2004 * Rohit, Parimal M. [https://web.archive.org/web/20100828094915/http://bollywood.buzzine.com/2009/07/pooja-kumar-the-new-heroine/ "Pooja Kumar – The New Heroine: Rising Star Ready for Primetime with 'Bollywood Hero'"], ''Bollywood Buzzine'' July 2009
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kumar, Pooja}} Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:Actresses from St. Louis Category:Female models from Missouri Category:American film actresses Category:American television actresses Category:American female models Category:American actresses of Indian descent Category:American female models of Indian descent Category:American expatriate actresses in India Category:Actresses in Hindi cinema Category:Actresses in Tamil cinema Category:Actresses in Telugu cinema Category:21st-century American actresses Category:Washington University in St. Louis alumni