Pooja Mohanraj

Pooja Mohanraj
Born
Pondicherry, India
Alma mater
Occupations
  • Actress
  • theatre director
  • theatre educator
Years active2021–present
Known forMalayalam cinema and theatre
Notable workAavesham, Sookshmadarshini, Romancham, Neelavelicham, Kaathal – The Core

Pooja Mohanraj is an Indian film and theatre actress, director, and educator who works primarily in Malayalam cinema.[1][2] She began her theatre career at the age of ten as a member of Lokadharmi, the theatre group led by Prof. Chandradasan, and went on to train extensively in both Eastern traditional performance forms and contemporary Western acting techniques.[3] She made her film debut with the Malayalam film One (2021) and gained wider recognition for her performances in films such as Romancham, Neelavelicham, Kaathal – The Core, Aavesham, and Sookshmadarshini.[4]

Early life and education

Pooja Mohanraj was born in Pondicherry, India, to Usha Mohanraj and K. Mohanraj, a mechanical engineer.[3] She spent her early childhood in Pondicherry and Muscat, before her family relocated to Kerala.[3] She completed her schooling at Bhavan's Adarsha Vidyalaya, Ernakulam.[3]

Her introduction to theatre came at the age of ten, when her mother enrolled her in the children's theatre wing of Lokadharmi, a theatre group founded by Prof. Chandradasan in Kochi.[3][5]

Pooja graduated with a degree in Economics (Honours) from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi.[3][6] She subsequently obtained a Master's degree in Theatre Arts from the School of Drama and Fine Arts, University of Calicut (at the College of Fine Arts, Thrissur).[3] She also holds a Professional Diploma in Intercultural Theatre (Acting) from the Intercultural Theatre Institute (ITI) in Singapore, a three-year full-time acting programme where she trained in Eastern traditional performance forms and contemporary Western acting techniques.[3] She graduated from ITI in 2018 as a recipient of the ITI International Scholarship.[5]

Career

Theatre

Prior to her formal training at ITI, Pooja trained under theatre practitioners including G. Venu, David Zinder, and Chandradasan, and attended workshops conducted by Richard Schechner and Alex Pinder.[3] She has worked with directors such as Aarne Neeme, Sankar Venkateswaran, Chandradasan, Kumara Varma, Neel Chaudhuri, and Sasidharan Naduvil.[3][7]

Her notable theatre productions include Egle and Cleopatra (a solo play written and directed by Chandradasan, based on Lithuanian myth and Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra), When We Dead Awaken, Andorra, and Balcony.[3][7] These productions were staged at festivals including the Bharat Rang Mahotsav, International Theatre Festival of Kerala, Ekaharya Theatre Festival, META Festival, Old World Theatre Festival, and Surya Festival.[7]

She directed her first play, Sorry Dad but I Have To, for the Collegiate Theatre Festival for New German Writing organised by the Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan in New Delhi.[3][5] Her solo performance Straitjacket was presented at the Singapore Writers Festival in 2018.[7] While in Singapore, she also performed in Pathey Nimidam, a Tamil theatre festival organised by the Ravindran Drama Group.[3]

She has undertaken international collaborative projects, including The Bowl Project with multidisciplinary artists from South Korea and The Eleven Project with French artists.[3] She was awarded the Scholarship for Young Artistes by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, for training in theatre.[7]

Beyond performing, Pooja has been involved in organising several editions of the International Theatre Festival of Kerala in various capacities.[7] She also founded Talir, an arts and cultural organisation aimed at using theatre as a tool for social change.[5] She facilitates theatre-in-education programmes in schools and colleges across Kerala and developed Attune, a training module adapted for virtual spaces, designed for both actors and non-actors.[7]

Film

Pooja made her film debut in 2021 with One, directed by Santhosh Viswanath, in which she played a civil police officer.[8] The same year, she appeared in the thriller Cold Case.[9]

In 2023, she appeared in several films, including Romancham directed by Jithu Madhavan, Neelavelicham directed by Aashiq Abu, and Kaathal – The Core directed by Jeo Baby.[8][10]

In 2024, she appeared in Aavesham, also directed by Jithu Madhavan and starring Fahadh Faasil, in which she played the role of Beauty.[11] The film was a major commercial success. She was also part of Sookshmadarshini, starring Basil Joseph and Nazriya Nazim.[12]

In 2025, she appeared in Oru Jaathi Jathakam, Maranamass, and Padakkalam, further establishing herself as a consistent presence in Malayalam cinema.[13][14][15] She also spoke at the Summit of Future 2025 hosted by Jain University in Kochi on the topic of stereotypes in Malayalam cinema.[16]

Filmography

Key
† Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released

Films

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
2021 One Civil Police Officer [8]
Cold Case Neela Maruthan [9]
2022 Freedom Fight Sajna Segment: "Asangadithar" [8]
2023 Romancham Maala [8]
Iratta CPO Amrutha [8]
Purusha Pretham Home Nurse [8]
Neelavelicham Suma [10]
Kaathal – The Core Thankan's sister [8]
2024 Manjummel Boys Studio girl [8]
Aavesham Beauty Nominated for Best Actor in Supporting Role (Female) Filmfare South [11]
Gangs of Sukumarakurup [17]
Sookshmadarshini Asma [12]
2025 Oru Jaathi Jathakam Latha [13]
Maranamass Annie [14]
Padakkalam Shobha [15]
Paathirathri Beat Forest Officer
2026 Magic Mushrooms Anitha [18]

Web series

Year Title Role Platform Notes Ref.
2023 Masterpeace Rashmitha Disney+ Hotstar

See also

References

  1. ^ "Affair of mind and body". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
  2. ^ "'അങ്ങനെയൊരു ഭാഗ്യം എന്റെ അച്ഛനു ലഭിച്ചില്ല, സ്വപ്നം സഫലമാകും മുമ്പ് അച്ഛൻ പോയി': പൂജ പുത്തൻ താരോദയം". Vanitha. Retrieved 2023-07-23.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Pooja Mohanraj – Alumni Profile". Intercultural Theatre Institute. Retrieved 2025-02-14.
  4. ^ "'Aavesham' actress Pooja Mohanraj: The representation of a Malayali hero has changed—exclusive!". MSN. Retrieved 2024-06-06.
  5. ^ a b c d "Q&A with Pooja Mohanraj". Intercultural Theatre Institute. Retrieved 2025-02-14.
  6. ^ "Pooja Mohanraj". M3DB.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g "Pooja Mohanraj – Biography". IMDb. Retrieved 2025-02-14.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i "'I am so glad to be part of 'Kaathal: The Core', says actress Pooja Mohanraj". The Times of India. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
  9. ^ a b "Cold Case: Malayalam Cinema's Hidden Gem In The Thriller Genre". News18.
  10. ^ a b "'Playing a character from Vaikom Muhammad Basheer's story really excited me', says 'Neelavelicham' actress Pooja Mohanraj". The Times of India. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  11. ^ a b "ഡംഷരാസ് ശരിക്കും കളിച്ചത്, ഫഹദിനൊരു മീറ്റർ ഉണ്ട്: പൂജ മോഹൻരാജ് അഭിമുഖം". Manorama Online.
  12. ^ a b "Sookshmadarshini movie review". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  13. ^ a b "'Oru Jaathi Jathakam' teaser". The Times of India. 2024-03-05. Retrieved 2025-02-03.
  14. ^ a b Santhosh, Vivek (2025-04-11). "Maranamass Movie Review". Cinema Express. Retrieved 2025-05-21.
  15. ^ a b "Suraj Venjaramoodu and Sharaf U Dheen's Padakkalam begins". Cinema Express. Retrieved 2025-01-11.
  16. ^ "'Married actresses are no longer stereotyped in mother roles,' Pooja Mohanraj on Jyothirmayi's comeback". Onmanorama. Retrieved 2025-02-04.
  17. ^ "Trailer Of Malayalam Movie Gangs Of Sukumarakurup Promises Intense Crime Drama". News18. Retrieved 2025-06-14.
  18. ^ "Nadirshah-Vishnu Unnikrishnan's new film titled Magic Mushrooms". The New Indian Express. 2025-06-11. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
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