Pooja Umashankar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pooja Umashankar
Pooja in 2012
Born	Pooja Gauthami Umashankar June 25, 1981 (age 44) Colombo, Sri Lanka
Education	Baldwin Girls' High School, Bangalore Mount Carmel College, Bangalore
Occupation	Model, Actress
Years active	2003–2016
Spouse(s)	Prashan David Vethakan ​ (m. 2016)​

Pooja Gauthami Umashankar is a talented former actress from Sri Lanka with Indian roots. She is well-known for her roles in movies made in both Tamil (from India) and Sinhala (from Sri Lanka).

About Pooja's Early Life

Pooja was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on June 25, 1981. Her father, H. R. Umashankar, is from Karnataka, India. Her mother, Sandhya, is Sinhalese from Sri Lanka. Pooja's father worked for a company called Hindustan Unilever.

Pooja's Education Journey

Pooja started her schooling in Sri Lanka. Later, she moved to India for more of her education. She attended schools in Aldur and Mysore. She then went to Baldwin Girls' High School in Bangalore. After high school, she studied at Mount Carmel College, Bangalore. She earned degrees in Commerce and Business.

Languages Pooja Speaks

Pooja is very good with languages. She can speak Kannada, Sinhala, Tamil, and English.

Pooja's Family Life

In December 2016, Pooja married Prashan David Vethakan. He is a businessman from Sri Lanka.

Pooja's Acting Career

Pooja started her acting career after a friend introduced her to a director named Jeeva. He offered her a role in a Tamil movie called Ullam Ketkumae. At first, Pooja only planned to act in this one movie. She wanted to use the money and then go back to her studies.

First Movies and Success

However, she was soon offered another role with a famous actor, R. Madhavan. This made her think differently about acting. Her first movie to be released was Jay Jay in 2004. Critics liked her performance in Jay Jay. One reviewer said her "sparkling eyes and smile do leave an impression."

Next, she acted with Ajith Kumar in the movie Attahasam. This movie was a big success. Even though her role was small, it helped her become more known. Her first movie, Ullam Ketkumae, was released later. It also did well and became a popular film.

Playing Challenging Roles

Pooja continued to appear in Tamil films like Thambi and Pori. In 2007, she also acted in a Malayalam movie called Panthaya Kozhi. A very important role for her was in the movie Naan Kadavul. She played Hamshavalli, a blind beggar. Her acting in this role was highly praised. She won several awards for it, including the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil.

After Naan Kadavul, Pooja took a break from acting in lead roles. She appeared in small guest roles in a few movies.

Big Success in Sri Lanka

In 2012, Pooja starred in the big movie Kusa Pabha. This film became the highest-earning movie ever in Sri Lankan film history. People loved Pooja's performance as Pabawathi in the movie.

Pooja's Filmography

Pooja's Television Appearances

Pooja's Awards and Recognition

Pooja has won many awards for her acting. These awards show how talented she is.