“As a beauty queen, I’m comfy in a swimsuit, but I don’t know how to swim!” says Pooja Chopra

The actor talks about washing her hands a gazillion times, watching stuff on her iPad under her quilt, and needing pitch darkness to fall asleep

“My father didn’t want a second daughter; he wanted a son, so he asked my mother to give me away to an orphanage. When I was 20 days old, my mother left her marital home. And my father never inquired about me after that,” says Pooja Chopra, who has fought her early circumstances with remarkable resilience.

A model, beauty pageant winner, and an actress (Aiyaary, Commando), Pooja adds, “I grew up very fast. Though I was a tomboy in my growing years, it takes me a long time to trust a man and include him in my intimate circle.”

List three things nobody knows about you.

1. I wash my hands a gazillion times a day. I’ve always carried a sanitizer in my bag.

2. I don’t know how to swim though I was Miss India and am comfortable in a swimsuit.

3. I started driving only last year because my driver couldn’t report for work and there was no other option to get groceries.

Do you like watching TV in the bedroom?

My mom didn’t allow me to have a TV in my bedroom as then I wouldn’t get out of bed. Today, with all meetings and narrations on Zoom, I’ve worked out a solution — I watch web series/movies on my iPad under my quilt.

Do you sleep with a nightlight on?

I need pitch darkness so I have blackout curtains. Then I can sleep even if there’s a trumpet blowing around me.

Who has the ultimate bedroom eyes?

Chris Evans. He posts videos with his dog and the way the dog looks at him! Even the dog can’t resist him!

Who is your 2am friend?

I have an 8am friend — my mommy!

What is the coolest thing about being an actor?

It’s the opportunity to breathe life into characters which are hitherto only on paper.

Describe yourself in a hashtag.

#Spunkyandfunky

Bedside stories

What are your beauty sleep hours?

I sleep by 11pm and I’m up by 8am — all deep sleep.

Which is your preferred side of the bed?

I keep moving around the bed because I have the entire king size bed to myself.

What do you wear to bed?

Oversized shirts.

Do you like to be alone after waking up?

I am a morning person and cheerful when I wake up. When I travel with friends, they wonder how I do it.

This or that?

Shopping destinations or adventure?

Shopping destinations. I’m clear my trip is to either a scenically beautiful or architecturally grand place or a shopping destination like Paris or Milan.

Accept destiny or try change destiny?

I accept my destiny but that doesn’t mean I don’t work towards what I want. If I get it, great; if I don’t, I don’t wallow. I tell myself there is something better.

Minimalist bedside table or clutter?

My bedside table is messy but has everything I need — lip balm to hand moisturizer, headphones and the script of the film I’m working on.

From HT Brunch, July 4, 2021

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