Pooja Chopra
Pooja Chopra won the title of Femina Miss India World 2009. She was the first Indian to win the title "Beauty with a Purpose" at the Miss World 2009 held in Johannesburg, South Africa. Currently working as an actress, Pooja was awarded the Times Most Powerful Woman Award for her contribution in the field of acting. The list features the most eminent personalities who have made it on their own merit.
Pooja Chopra won as many as eight national and international titles including Femina Miss India in 2009. She features in Times 50 Most Beautiful Women. The list features India's most beautiful faces.
Early life
Chopra was born in Kolkata, India. She is the child of a single mother and was brought up by her mother and grandmother. She is a resident of Pune, Maharashtra. She has an older sister named Shubhra Chopra. She competed her education from Mount Carmel Convent High School in Pune & graduated from Ness Wadia College in Pune.Career
2009–12: Pageantry and career beginnings
Pooja Chopra was crowned with the 2009 Femina Miss India East title on 17 February 2009, in Kolkata. She also won Miss Perfect 10, Miss Catwalk, Miss Beautiful Smile, Talwarkars Best Body, and Nakshatra Miss Sparkling Beauty, thus gaining direct entry into the top ten finalists of the Femina Miss India 2009. On 5 April 2009, she was crowned the Pantaloons Femina Miss India-World 2009.Chopra sprained her ankle while running down a flight of stairs, one week prior to the Miss World Final on 12 December 2009. Gibraltar's Kaiane Aldorino was crowned Miss World 2009 in a glittering gala event here, but it was Miss India Pooja Chopra who got some of the loudest applause for bravely taking on the contest despite a broken ankle. Doctors advised 3 weeks of complete bed-rest, but she continued with the competition. Chair of the Miss World Organization Julia Morley suggested that Chopra drop out of the dance round, but she fought back & still participated and performed. She finished as one of the top 16 finalists out of 120 contestants.
Miss India Pooja Chopra, who got some of the loudest applause for bravely taking on the contest with a broken ankle, walks onto the stage in a cast, during the Miss World pageant in Johannesburg, South Africa.
During her reign she endorsed brands such as Tata Docomo, Bajaj Allainz, Richfeel, Body and Soul, Roots Comb, Evolve Med Spa, and Juvederm Voluma. Pooja Chopra was the brand ambassador for Dr Tvacha. Pooja was also the brand ambassador for Jumbo King Wada Pav.
2013–present: Acting debut and recent work
Chopra made her acting debut in the 2011 Tamil film Ponnar Shankar, playing the role of Princess Muthaayi, opposite Prashanth Thiagarajan. Before she made her debut in Bollywood as a leading lady, she had minor roles in Madhur Bhandarkar's films Fashion and Heroine.Chopra acted in Vipul Shah's action film Commando opposite Vidyut Jammwal, in her first lead role. Chopra starred in Neeraj Pandey's short film Ouch, a dramatic love story.
Meena Iyer from Times of India said, "Pooja Chopra is super-confident in her film debut and a welcome addition to Bollywood's heroines".
In 2018, Chopra featured in a T Series music video "Sau Fikr", a song by Bishwajit Ghosh and Rohit Singh.
Chopra next will be seen in a lead role with Sharman Joshi in Babloo Bachelor.
She is currently working on a web series titled Poisson 2 for Zee5 Permium Platform. Pooja Chopra is the face of Kingfisher Calendar 2020 an iconic calendar featuring country's best faces & having the fittest bodies.
Personal
When Chopra was born, her father did not want her because he wanted a son. Neera Chopra, her mother, left her husband because she had decided to keep her daughter. Pooja's personal story was featured in Nisha Pahuja's documentary,Philanthropy
On 12 December 2009, she won the "Beauty With a Purpose" title at Miss World 2009 based on her charitable work in the India "Nanhi Kali" project. She won US$10,000 for her project, which she donated to the NGO which helps small girls fight poverty.Considering their shared interest in fitness, Pooja chopra, along with Akshay Kumar, launched the Asian Heart Institute Initiative "Happy Heart India" campaign for underprivileged children in 2018. Chopra was also invited by the BMC to lead the campaign #EkChammachKam alongside Farhan Akhtar to spread awareness about non-communicable diseases.
Post Pulwama attack in 2019, Pooja Chopra donated part of her Aiyaary earnings to families of Martyred Soldiers.
Filmography
Year | Film | Role | Language | Notes |
2008 | Fashion | Herself | Hindi | Special appearance |
2011 | Ponnar Shankar | Princess Muthaayi | Tamil | Lead role |
2012 | Heroine | Shaheen Khan | Hindi | Special appearance |
2012 | The World Before Her | Herself | English | Documentary |
2013 | Simrit Sarabjit Kaur | Hindi | Lead role | |
2016 | Yea Toh Two Much Ho Gayaa | Meena | Hindi | Lead role |
2016 | Ouch | Priya | Hindi | Short film |
2018 | Aiyaary | Captain Maya Semwal | Hindi | |
2018 | Babloo Bachelor | Hindi | ||
Tom, Dick and Harry 2 | TBA | Hindi | Lead role |