Pooja Gandhi

Pooja Gandhi (born Sanjana Gandhi)^[1] is an Indian film actress and producer. She has acted mainly in Kannada language films in addition to few Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali and Hindi films.

Gandhi made her film debut in 2003 with a Bengali film Tomake Salam and Tamil film Kokki in the same year. Since then, she has played lead roles in commercially films such as Mungaru Male (2006), Milana (2007), Krishna (2007), Taj Mahal (2008), Budhivanta (2008), Gokula (2009), Dandupalya (2012) and Abhinetri (2015). She has acted in more than 50 films and also participated in the reality show Bigg Boss Kannada 3.

She joined the Janata Dal (Secular) party in 2012 by taking the membership of the party.^[2] She soon hopped onto KJP party and later to the BSR Congress party and contested the Karnataka assembly elections from Raichur constituency.^[3] However, she was defeated in the elections and did not win any seat from the constituency.^[4]

Early years and personal life

Gandhi was born in Meerut^[5] into a traditional Punjabi family. Her father, Pawan Gandhi, is a businessman and her mother, Jyothi Gandhi, is a housewife. She studied at Sophia Convent and Dewan Public School in Meerut. She has two younger sisters – Radhika Gandhi, who is also an actress in Kannada films, and Suhani Gandhi, a tennis player.^[5][6]

Gandhi got engaged in November 2012 but ended the relationship the following month.^[7]

Career

Debut (2003)

Gandhi started her career by acting in TV soaps, starting with Zameen Se Aassman Tak directed by Aruna Irani.^[5] She made her debut at the age of 18 in the Bengali film Tomake Salam, released in 2003. She moved to the South Indian film industry with the Tamil film Kokki. The film earned moderate reviews and had a successful run at the box office.^[6]

Initial success and fame in Kannada (2006–08)

Her debut in the Kannada film industry was with Mungaru Male,^[8] The film was the first in India for any language to be screened for continuously one year in a multiplex.^[9] It ran over 865-days in Karnataka and was remade in Telugu as Vaana^[10] and in Bengali as Premer Kahini^[11] in 2008. She popularly came to be known as Mungaru Male Girl (Girl of "Mungaru Male").^[12]

She then acted in the movie Milana with Puneeth Rajkumar. Upon theatrical release on 14 September 2007, the film saw massive commercial success and completed a 450-day run in theatres. Later the film was dubbed into Malayalam as Ishtam Enikkishtam.

Gandhi worked in Krishna, with "Comedy Time" Ganesh, her co-actor in Mungaru Male. She has since acted in several Kannada films, such as Manmatha, Geleya, Hani Hani, Accident, Kaamannana Makkalu and Nee Tata Naa Birla.

In 2008, she starred in the Kannada film Taj Mahal with Ajay Rao. She was nominated for a Filmfare Best Actress Award. Her next film was the Tamil movie Thiruvannamalai also starring Arjun Sarja. The film was later dubbed in Hindi as Main Hoon Vinashak.^[5]

Her first 2009 release was Anu, which was the remake of Telugu movie Anusuya starring Bhumika Chawla. Other Kannada movies that Gandhi acted in include Hucchi, Iniya, and Ninagaagi Kadiruve. Other movies from 2009 include the Tamil film Thalai Ezhudu, and Gokula in which she starred with Vijaya Raghavendra and Yash. The film opened on 27 November 2009.^[13]

She made her debut in Hindi film with I Am 2011, together with Juhi Chawla. 'I Am' received mainly positive reviews from critics. The Times of India called it "an important and intelligent film"^[14] and The Film Street Journal named it "a must watch".^[15] In 2012 'I Am' won the National Award for Best Hindi Film and Best Lyrics.^[16] In the same year she has acted several Kannada movies such as Thavarina Runa, Aptha, Nee Illadhe, Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Panchamrutha, Pagal and Jogayya. In 'Jogayya' movie, she made a cameo appearance as an Advocate, directed by star director Prem.

Critical acclaim and accolades

Gandhi received Filmfare Award for Best Kannada Actress and Suvarna Fimfare Award for Best Actress for her performance in Dandupalya. The film was dubbed in Telugu and released as Dandupalyam. It was well received in Andhra Pradesh.^[17]

A Tamil dub titled Karimedu was produced by Rama Narayanan's Sri Thenandal Films and released on 24 May 2013 to critical acclaim. it was hit in Tamil Nadu.^[18][19] The film was dubbed in Malayalam and was titled as Kuruthikalam.

Gandhi has signed up to make her Tulu language film debut in Beere Devupoonje, playing the role of Raja Nartaki. The film, produced and directed by R. Dhanraj, will be based on a Tulu warrior named Devapoonja who lived 400 years ago.^[20]

Politics

Gandhi joined the Janata Dal (Secular) (JDS) party on 18 January 2012.^[21]

She then joined briefly the KJP, but she finally contested the 2013 Karnataka Legislative Assembly elections from Raichur on a BSR Congress ticket. This first attempt at public office proved unsuccessful.^[22]

Filmography

Awards

• Filmfare Best Actress Award for Tajmahal movie (2008).
• Filmfare Best Actress Award for Dandupalya movie (2012).

Reality shows

• She was one of the Top 5 finalist of the Bigg Boss Kannada 3 which was aired on Colors Kannada during 2016.

References

External links

• Pooja Gandhi on IMDb