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{{short description|American actress and model}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{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]], United States
| nationality =
| 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 (film)|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 (actor)|Rajasekhar]].

==Early life==
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 immigrated from India in 1970.<ref name=Tele/> She attended [[Washington University in St. Louis|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 (Kolkata)|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. (1997 film)|V. I. P]]'', while she had also signed to appear alongside [[Karthik (actor)|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 [[Independent Film Channel|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.<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==


===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 language|Tamil]]||
|-
|2003 || ''[[Magic Magic 3D]]'' || Deepti || Tamil ||
|-
|2003 || ''[[Flavors (film)|Flavors]]'' || Rachana || [[English language|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 ||
|-
| ''[[Vishwaroopam|Vishwaroop]]'' || Hindi ||
|-
|rowspan="1"|2015|| ''[[Uthama Villain]]'' || 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 ||
|-
|''[[Vishwaroopam II|Vishwaroop II]]'' || Hindi ||
|-
|2020
|''[[Forbidden Love (2020 web series)|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 (TV series)|Chuck]]''
| Jinsana
| 1 episode
|-
| 2021
| ''[[Never Have I Ever (TV series)|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

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kumar, Pooja}}
[[Category:1977 births]]
[[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]]

Pooja Kumar - Revision history

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article