Pooja Batra to star in US sitcom Outsourced

Pooja Batra to star in US sitcom Outsourced
Saturday, September 04, 2010 11:52 IST
By Santa Banta News Network
Remember Pooja Batra? The former Indian beauty queen and actress is Hollywood bound.

She is making a comeback to showbiz with upcoming American sitcom "Outsourced" and also helping Indian actors find a foothold there with her casting company.

Pooja, 36, who married orthopaedic surgeon Sonu Ahluwalia in 2003, is currently settled in Los Angeles and has been running her own casting agency - Glow Bell Inc. She will dazzle on screen after five years. Pooja has done over 21 movies like "Virasat", "Haseena Maan Jaayegi" and "Nayak - The Real Hero".

"I am pursuing acting in America. I have booked a show there and I am hoping my character develops. It is called 'Outsourced'. It is for NBC (channel); so I am keeping my fingers crossed, " Pooja, who was last seen in 2005 in the historical epic "Taj Mahal - An Eternal Love Story", told.

Set in a Mumbai call centre, "Outsourced" is an adaptation of a Josh Hamilton-Ayesha Dharker-starrer by the same name. The show has been picked up by NBC for its fall schedule.

Directed by Ken Kwapis, it stars Ben Rappaport in the lead alongside others like Rizwan Manji, Sacha Dhawan, Rebecca Hazlewood, Parvesh Cheena, Anisha Nagarajan, Pippa Black and Diebdrich Bader.

Probed about it, she said: "It is confirmed and it has been okayed, but right now they are developing the characters and shooting with the principal cast. Then they will focus on the others.

"So whenever they are writing and developing the show - since it has to be character driven - hopefully I'll see more of me. But, yes, I am in the show, " added Pooja who has still managed to retain her youthful looks.

Majorly absent from the big screen after marriage, the 5'9" beauty was in the capital to burn the runaway at the recently concluded Van Heusen India Men's Week (VHIMW) for designer duo Rohit and Abhishek.

Not many know that this drop dead gorgeous face is also spearheading the operations of LA Casting, a Hollywood casting agency in India, to provide opportunities to Indian talent to work in the West.

"My company Glow Bell Inc is trying to set that (LA Casting shop) in India. In fact, I have been here and now because of LA Casting. I have been coming very often, " she said.

Pooja was also instrumental in bringing Hollywood actors Sylvester Stallone and Denise Richards for Sajid Nadiadwala's last year release "Kambakkht Ishq".

So doesn't she miss Bollywood? "Yes I do. A lot, " she said.

Has it taken a backseat for now?

"No, I am open to movies. I'd love to come back to Bollywood. I have been there (LA) for five years and it becomes really difficult when you are that far away. So something good has to come my way. Obviously, it hasn't, so I haven't done it, " she said with her signature smile.

And her ideal role would be?

"Something that interests me, has a nice character draft and something that I want to do, " said the actress, who has also pursued a course in filmmaking from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
Azaad Hai Tu Title Track Witnesses One of the Biggest Song Launches of 2024!

Ajay Devgn, Director Abhishek Kapoor, Producer Pragya Kapoor, Aaman Devgn, and Rasha Thadani Captivate Bhubaneswar with a Grand Unveiling of the

Monday, December 23, 2024
Paatal Lok Season 2 Release Date, Everything You Need to Know About the Upcoming Crime Thriller!

The highly anticipated second season of the crime-thriller series Paatal Lok is set to premiere on January 17, exclusively on OTT platform Prime Video. With a stellar cast

Monday, December 23, 2024
Advance Bookings for this year's mass commercial Christmas entertainer Baby John are now open!

Produced by Murad Khetani, Priya Atlee, and Jyoti Deshpande, Baby John is a story that is close to everyone's heart. Directed by Kalees, the film is filled with emotions, humor, action, lively

Monday, December 23, 2024
Badshah Calls for Unity Amidst Diljit Dosanjh and A. P. Dhillon Controversy!

The escalating tension between Punjabi superstar Diljit Dosanjh and singer-songwriter A. P. Dhillon has caught the attention of rapper Badshah, who has stepped in with a message

Monday, December 23, 2024
Allu Arjun's House Attacked Over Demands for Compensation in Stampede Incident!

The controversy surrounding the tragic stampede at Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad continues to escalate. On Sunday, protesters targeted the residence of Telugu superstar

Monday, December 23, 2024
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT