“Wear Heels, I Don’t Mind”: Salman Khan Supported Pooja Batra Despite Height Difference

Bollywood actress Pooja Batra entered the film industry as a model prior to her debut role in the film "Virasat" in 1997. She acted in a number of Hindi films. Despite her successful debut, however, she was unable to sustain a long-lasting career. In fact, according to Pooja Batra, her height hindered her film career. Most actors were shorter than her, but their ego was so strong that they didn't want their heroines to appear taller than them. Therefore, they wanted to make them appear shorter than themselves.

Speaking to Harper's Bazaar India, Pooja Batra recalled a piece of advice from Sangeeta Bijlani during her early years. She said, "I remember Sangeeta Bijlani telling me, 'You have no chance in films because you're too tall.'" This warning from Sangeeta disappointed me. But she's my idol. She's beautiful and a model.

I gave my best in every role I got, even though the heroes were intimidated by my height. It's true that I didn't get many films because of my height. I lost many good roles." Pooja claimed that tall actresses like her and Sangeeta paved the way for taller actresses like Sushmita Sen and Deepika Padukone. "I should be thanking them."

Pooja explained that she used to do half splits in front of the camera to make her heroes appear taller in close-up shots. In her first film, Pooja wore colorful clothes to appear shorter. The actress added, "Even in Hollywood, I respect all the tall actresses like Naomi Watts and Charlize Theron. I know how difficult it is for a woman to succeed despite her height." However, Pooja said that Salman Khan was the only actor who never had a problem with her height. He was the one who would say, "Wear heels, I don't have a problem." He had complete confidence in his height.

Regarding the changes in Hindi cinema, the actress said that a lot has changed. Not only due to a change in thinking, but also due to technological advancements in CinemaScope, a lot has improved. Short people are at a disadvantage because they can appear taller on camera than they actually are. Most of the world's most famous actors are not very tall. To wear short clothes and bring her fashion sense to the screen, Pooja always wore her own clothes in films. She remembers that when she would come to the set in her personal clothes, the director would tell her to wear what she was wearing. But he would also ask her to remove her makeup because he wanted a natural look. She laughed and said, "I thought, 'Let me at least apply sunblock.'"

Pooja Batra entered modeling and then films after winning the Miss India International title in 1993. She also worked in some South Indian films. In 2003, she married an orthopedic surgeon and settled in Los Angeles, California. However, after their divorce in 2011, she returned to India. She subsequently made a comeback with Hollywood films like "Hum Tum Shabana" (2011), "ABCD 2" (2015), and others. She remarried actor Nawab Shah in 2019.