This Noorie knows her job

Mona

She is a passionate dancer, rider, reader, swimmer, and for a living, she acts. Pooja Banerjee, the slender doe-eyed beauty lights up as she talks of many of her passions, travelling and cooking enjoying a top slot there. An actor by ‘chance’, this Bong beauty is on her fifth show as a lead and despite 12-hour shifts every single day (with some adjustments in between), she knows how to live life fully!

Raw talent

Masters in English and a civil services aspirant, for Pooja acting happened by chance. What was the major challenge on this new road? “I knew no acting,” she is upfront. “Pages and pages of dialogues, I had no idea when to lift which hand and which angle to turn to.” She learnt it on the job and loving it now.  

Bring it on

The 12-hour work shifts day after day is what Pooja handles easily. With her school days filled with sports and other cultural activities, she is used to working hard. “Swimming has really boosted my stamina too,” claims the girl who represented Maharashtra 14 times as a student. And, no that’s not just what she would do. She is an avid reader currently hooked on to Yogic Wealth by Gaurav Mashruwala. She loves folk dance. In fact, she taught kalbelia, thirayattam and chhau to exchange students during her college days.

No network

Even after four years of acting, Pooja does not watch TV. “I never have,” she exclaims. Even while she was on air for Roadies Season 8, her house had no cable connection. Her brother was taking board exams, and Pooja still in her college, was teaching him. But then films are welcome, especially superhero ones. A huge admirer of Vidya Balan, Irrfan Khan and Kirron Kher, Pooja is madly in love with Robert Downy Jr.

Myths and facts

Currently Pooja is seen playing Noorie in Life OK show Nagarjun. Having done a mythological show before, she was not too keen to don heavy costumes replete with armours and say heavy duty dialogues. “But this show that picks from the Mahabharat time runs parallel in old era and current times.” And she is playing no naagin but a regular girl and she is happy. 

“This is Life OK’s grandest shows post Mahadev. Be it actors, writers, music, set—everything here is epic.”

Rewind life

Making adjustments with the daily rut where one has to appear five days a week on TV, Pooja knows well how to keep her sanity. Three vacations a year — one a pilgrimage with parents, second, a trip to wild life sanctuary and a road trip on bike — are a must. Just off from the Golden Temple where she was for promotions, Pooja is hoping to hit the Gir Forest National Park soon. “I love sanctuaries for there is no phone, and I love some real me time.

Aiming to jump from the small screen to big, this girl has faith in her abilities and knows well how to keep going. “I might not be the most beautiful actor but I know I can emote. A literature student, I can seamlessly be a part of stories and there lies my strength.”