When a star is born

Lights, camera and her laptop… This is probably the best way to describe Pooja Gauthami Umarshankar, the newly popular film actress. A familiar face in Sinhalese films these days, it's interesting to find out some of the lesser known facts about her. What is most interesting is that she was born in Sri Lanka (General Hospital, to be specific) to a Sri Lankan mother and Indian father, in 1981 and this is what makes her close to home, so to speak.

Pooja is the eldest in a family of two and has a younger brother and he too was born in Sri Lanka. Her mom is from Gampaha and her dad is a Brahmin, who was born in Shringeri, which is a holy place, like Buddhagaya. They met in Alahabad, "and my mom fell for him," she said mischievously!

Being at the Tiny Tots nursery here in Colombo, and studying from lower kindergarten upto her MBA in Mysoor and Bangalore in India, she was in the hostel throughout and did her undergraduate degree in Political Science. "I loved hostel life," she said, and the best part of being in the hostel she said was the food, "I really loved the hostel food!" Reflecting back on her college days she said "college life was awesome," adding that it was great fun being surrounded by 200 to 250 girls.

Film…she said "happened by chance," and added that she was spotted by a director who wanted a girl to play an Anglo-Indian girl, for a film. "My friends pushed me," she said, because they thought it would be "a good way to get pocket money," and went on to say "and then I got pulled into the industry without even realising it."

She feels she has learnt the best combination in life from both her parents. "My dad was very strict," and one of the most important lessons he had taught her, was to maintain accounts, which in was something she has done from a very early age. "In fact, I can't go to sleep without doing them," she said, adding, "I was taught the importance of even a rupee." "My mom has taught me humility," she said, "and this I feel is a good combination."

The fact that she does not have any embarrassing nicknames probably reflects the person she is! "I am not a risk taking person," she said, adding "you'll not find me bungee jumping or anything. Cinema is the craziest thing I've done. I'm a very shy person."

"I have a fetish for shoes!" was what she had to say about her vices, and her mom always asks her why she keeps adding to the already massive collection she has but she said she does give away the pairs she does not fair too often. In terms of her profession, she acts in South Indian or Kollywood films and her first film was a Tamil Jay Jay.

As for the part she has played so far in the Sri Lankan film industry, she has acted in Yaluwoo (2007), Asai Mang Piyabanna (2007) and Anjalika (2005). She can speak in Sinhalese, Tamil, Kannada and English and has played roles ranging from a dumb blond to a blind beggar. And in fact this role of a blind beggar is the most intense she has done so far and is what she is currently working on, at the moment, and she went on to say, that it has been a "challenging role and is enjoying doing it." As for her future in the film industry, she said "Now that I am in it, I will stay in it for long."