Introduction to Pooja Batra
What better way to ease the monotony of UN-LOCKDOWN 1 than a quick and quirky chat with the vivacious and stunningly gorgeous Pooja Batra, Model & Actor – Bollywood and now International too!
Pooja Batra needs no introduction, an Army brat who first grabbed attention by becoming the Femina Miss India International and then went on to become a Liril Girl among many other assignments.
She has over 20 films to her credit – in Hindi, Telegu, Malayalam, and Tamil; and her film Taj Mahal : An Eternal Love Story was screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2004….
Well, enough talk, let’s hear what Pooja has to say now!!
Me : Hi Pooja, Thank you so much for sparing the time to speak with me. So, what’s keeping you busy during these lockdown days?
Pooja Batra : Hey Aniruddha, You are welcome ☺ Hope you & your loved ones are safe. I decided around the end of January to come from the US to India to be with my family & Husband during this lockdown.
I have tried to stay busy during these months. Reading, cooking, walking a lot, Gardening, Doing my Yoga practice every day, making yoga videos for my youtube channel – yogawithpoojabatra, webinars, and also managed to do looping/dubbing from my linen room for a short film of mine in America.
I also managed to file my taxes in the US sitting here.
Me : Wow! That’s a lot of work!! Now, the next one….. If you hadn’t been an actor, what would you be?
Pooja Batra : Well, Aniruddha, I was already a model before I got into acting. I may have been a pilot, a director or the CEO of a company if not an actor!
Me : Whoa! That’s good to know….Now which is your most favorite character or role on the silver screen (Bollywood/Hollywood)? If you were to play it, what, if anything, would you do differently?
Pooja Batra : Most favorite role, there are so many roles…..In Bollywood Kangana in Queen. Priyanka Chopra in Mary Kom & Barfi…..Lena Headey & Emilia Clark in Game of Thrones. Robin Wright in House of Cards.
I don’t know how right now I would have played them. That too depends on a myriad of things…..
Me : True, I guess…. well, now for the next one…Who’s your favorite Hollywood Director and what Movie? Why?
Pooja Batra : My favorite director is Clint Eastwood. Which movie? I like all his movies. He is such an awesome person. So down to earth and level headed & just brilliant in his craft. Be it acting or directing. He treats his actors right and gives them the roles to die for. I was fortunate to meet him and was invited by him for the premiere of Gran Torino. He told me it’s his dream to shoot a movie in India!
Me : Hey, he’s one of my favorites too! A great actor who was an even better director! Now next…What is your personal favorite performance of yourself?
Pooja Batra : My favorite Personal Performances of myself are in Virasat, Chandrakekha, Seal Team, and a movie that will come out after this whole COVid situation is over in the US, called Draupadi Unleashed.
Me : Oh! That’s good to hear…Virasat was a real good movie…In life, what makes you smile and what scares you the most?
Pooja Batra : What makes me smile? – My nephew! He’s 9 months old is is so adorable that I can’t help but smile when I see him!!
Life in general, I am a happy person and like to be always chirpy. Heaven is a place on Earth!
What scares me the most is losing my parents, my brothers or my hubby, My dear friends. The thought of it scares me…..?
Me : Couldn’t agree more…Could you narrate one favorite humorous story from your acting career?
Pooja Batra : There are numerous funny instances from my movie set but one that I have to share…
This is when I was shooting my 1st movie Virasat– I had a very dramatic scene which was a turning point in the movie & we were shooting in a remote village in the south of India.
I was to break down in this scene and break a photo frame in anger. I was told to do that shot in one take as the set department told me that there was only one photo frame and the next replacement could only come next week.
I did do the scene in one take & much later after the schedule was over, I was told that it was a joke everyone pulled on me!
They had at least 5 photo frames!!!
Me : Ha Ha!! They really pulled your leg, huh? Next one now…If you ever got stranded on a remote island, and you could choose 5 items to have with you, which ones would they be?
Pooja Batra : If I ever got stranded on a remote Island, & I could choose 5 items to have with me, they would be –
1- WiFi
2- My ?
3- Dental Floss
4-A reusable water bottle
5- A dictionary !!
Me : Whoa, that’s so convenient that the remoteness of the island won’t matter at all! Now the next one…Which of your roles was the most challenging for you to capture?
Pooja Batra : Quite a few actually…My role in Virasat, then my role in Timeless (NBC), my role in Megham (A Malyaalam movie I did with Mamooty), my role in a movie called Kashmakash – where I play Dumb & Deaf (movie was 90% complete, the producer & director has a tiff and got shelved!)….
Me : Alright, now the last one….In the New Normal, which film/serial will we see you next in?
Pooja Batra : After the lock down ends you will see me in a movie called SQUAD, Draupadi Unleashed & Padmavyuha (Short Film I mentioned above)…
Me : Lovely! Look forward to them…Once again thank you for your time, wish you all the best, stay well and stay safe!
