AMERICAN desi

MAYUKH MAJUMDAR CONVERSES WITH POOJA BATRA, WHO IS MAKING A COMEBACK TO BOLLYWOOD AFTER 20 YEARS

- MAYUKH MAJUMDAR

Pooja Batra won the Femina Miss India International in 1993. And life was never the same again. Glamour became her forte and the beauty pageant winner went on to star in big movies like Virasat, Haseena Maan Jayegi, Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya and Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye. Just when you thought, she’d scale greater heights, she left it to lead a married life in America. She and her first husband separated after eight years of marriage. She however remained in the US, doing roles in American serials like Lethal Weapon, Timeless, S.W.A.T., The Rookie and many more. She met Nawab Shah in 2019 and after five months of courtship, the duo got married in July 2019. Pooja made a comeback of sorts in Bollywood in the action film Squad. She talks to Filmfare about her years in America, the difference between Hollywood and Bollywood and how she has found fulfilment with her new husband…

You’ve made a splash with Squad? How did that happen?

My character Nandini Rajput in the movie Squad was specially written keeping me in mind. I always wanted to be part of Nilesh Sahay’s first project. He’s such a dear friend of mine… almost like a younger brother. So, when he offered me the film, I was delighted and excited to come on board. It was great fun filming. I got the chance to shoot with Rinsing Denzongpa and Malvika Raaj - two incredible professionals dedicated to their craft. Of course, amidst all this fun and excitement the pandemic happened and there were a lot of aspects we could no longer control. But on the whole, it was a great experience coming back to India, being on set again, and shooting with exceptional actors like Mohan Kapoor and Amit Gaur.

How did you cope with COVID-19 and the lockdown?