Pooja Batra says she paved way for tall actors like Deepika Padukone, Kriti Sanon: ‘I had to do splits for heroes’

Pooja Batra opened up on height bias in Bollywood, recalled doing splits in front of camera to look shorter than ‘insecure’ heroes.

Bollywood actor and former Miss India Pooja Batra recently reflected on her experiences in the film industry and spoke about the challenges she faced because of her height. Recalling the early years of her career, Pooja revealed that she was often asked to perform splits in front of the camera to appear shorter than her male co-stars. She added that the struggles she went through eventually helped pave the way for taller actors like Deepika Padukone and Kriti Sanon to be accepted more comfortably in Bollywood.

Pooja Batra says Deepika Padukone and Kriti Sanon should thank her.

Pooja Batra recalls losing movies because of her height

Pooja started her career as a model and later shifted to acting in Bollywood films. Recalling the transition, she told Harper's Bazaar India, "It was tough. I remember I was told by Sangeeta Bijlani, ‘You don’t have a chance in the movies because you’re too tall.’ She’s my idol. She’s beautiful, and she’s a model too. I gave every role I got my best even though the heroes got intimidated because of my stature. It’s true I didn’t book a lot of movies because of my height. I lost out on a lot of good roles."

Talking about tall female actors like Deepika Padukone and Kriti Sanon, Pooja added, "I paved the way for tall actresses. Say thank you. I would do splits in front of the camera so that the heroes would look taller. I had to spread my legs halfway through the scene. Salman never had a problem. He was one guy who’d be like, ‘Wear your heels, I don’t have a problem.’ He’d be confident in his own skin."

About Pooja Batra

Pooja shot to fame after being crowned Femina Miss India International 1993 in 1993. She went on to become one of India’s top models and walked the ramp in over 250 fashion shows in India and overseas. She later transitioned to films in 1997.

She made her Bollywood debut alongside Anil Kapoor in Virasat and later featured in films like Bhai, Haseena Maan Jaayegi, Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya and Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye, among others.

She was last seen in the 2021 film Squad. Helmed by Nilesh Sahay, the film also featured Rinzing Denzongpa and Malvika Raaj in lead roles. The film premiered on ZEE5 on November 12.

About Deepika Padukone and Kriti Sanon’s upcoming films

Deepika is currently busy shooting for her upcoming film, King. Helmed by Siddharth Anand, the film also stars Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role, alongside Suhana Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Raghav Juyal, Arshad Warsi and Jaideep Ahlawat, among others. The film is scheduled to release in theatres on December 24, 2026. She also has Raaka with Allu Arjun and Atlee in the pipeline.

Kriti, on the other hand, is awaiting the release of Cocktail 2. Helmed by Homi Adajania, the film also stars Shahid Kapoor and Rashmika Mandanna in lead roles and is scheduled to release in theatres on June 19.