Celebrity Biography · Updated October 22, 2026

Poonam Bajwa Biography: Age, Height, Family & More

Poonam Bajwa (born 5 April 1985) is an Indian actress and former model who has worked across Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada cinema. Born in Mumbai (then Bombay) into a Punjabi family, she was crowned Miss Pune in 2005 and made her film debut the same year in the Telugu film Modati Cinema. She went on to act opposite Nagarjuna in Boss, Jeeva in Thenavattu and Kacheri Arambam, and Mammootty and Mohanlal in several Malayalam films.

Poonam Bajwa biography – South Indian actress in 2026
Poonam Bajwa biography
Poonam Bajwa has acted in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada films.

Poonam Bajwa Latest News (October 2026)

  • No new film announced yet: As of October 2026, Poonam Bajwa has not officially announced a new film. Her most recent releases came in 2022: the Malayalam period drama Pathonpatham Noottandu, the Suresh Gopi-starrer Mei Hoom Moosa, and the Tamil film Gurumoorthi. Fans continue to follow her on Instagram, where she shares fitness, travel and fashion posts.
  • A royal role that stands out: Her most talked-about recent part was in Vinayan’s Pathonpatham Noottandu (2022), in which she played the Queen of Travancore, Mathruppillil Kalyanikutty Amma. The historical drama gave her one of the most dignified roles of her career, and it is still widely discussed when her Malayalam work comes up.

Poonam Bajwa Profile, Age and Wiki

Bio
Full name Poonam Bajwa
Career
Pageant Miss Pune 2005
Debut film Modati Cinema (2005, Telugu)
Languages Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada
Latest release Gurumoorthi (2022, Tamil)
Personal Life
Date of birth 5 April 1985
Age (as of 2026) 41 years
Birthplace Mumbai (Bombay), Maharashtra
Zodiac sign Aries
Nationality Indian
Education BA English Literature, Symbiosis, Pune (reported)
Relationships and Family
Family roots Punjabi
Father Amarjit Singh Bajwa (Naval officer)
Mother Jayalakshmi Bajwa
Sibling Deepika Bajwa (younger sister)

Poonam Bajwa Early Life, Family and Education

Poonam Bajwa was born on 5 April 1985 in Bombay (now Mumbai) to a Punjabi family. Her father, Amarjit Singh Bajwa, was a Naval officer, and her mother is Jayalakshmi Bajwa. She has a younger sister, Deepika Bajwa. Because of her father’s naval career, she grew up in a disciplined, cosmopolitan household.

Poonam Bajwa with her Family
Poonam Bajwa with her Family

She reportedly studied English Literature at Symbiosis in Pune. In 2005, while still a student, she won the Miss Pune title and began modelling part-time alongside her studies. That pageant win opened the door to ramp shows, and it was at one such show in Hyderabad that a Telugu director spotted her and offered her a lead role.

Poonam Bajwa Film Career

Telugu beginnings (2005–2008)

Poonam made her debut as Sindhu in the Telugu film Modati Cinema (2005). In 2006 she starred in Premante Inte and in V. N. Aditya’s Boss, opposite Akkineni Nagarjuna, which brought her wider recognition. She also made her Kannada debut that year with Thangigagi. In 2007 she appeared in Veduka, and in 2008 she played Subbalakshmi, Prakash Raj’s elder daughter, in Allu Arjun‘s hit Parugu, directed by Bhaskar.

Tamil cinema (2008–2011)

Poonam entered Tamil cinema with Hari’s rural drama Seval (2008), opposite Bharath. She followed it with two films opposite Jeeva, Thenavattu (2008) and Kacheri Arambam (2010). In 2010 she appeared in Sudha Kongara’s directorial debut Drohi, and in 2011 she starred in Thambikottai.

Poonam Bajwa’s early Telugu breakthrough came with Boss (2006) opposite Nagarjuna.

Malayalam success (2011–2017)

Poonam made her Malayalam debut in Rafi–Mecartin’s multi-starrer China Town (2011), with Mohanlal, Jayaram and Dileep, playing Emily Gomez. That year she also starred opposite Mammootty in Venicile Vyapari. In 2012 she appeared in the Malayalam–Kannada bilingual Shikari and in Jayaram’s Manthrikan. She later made a special appearance in the Mohanlal comedy Peruchazhi (2014), and acted in Rosapookkalam (2015), Zacharia Pothen Jeevichirippundu (2017) and the Mammootty action film Masterpiece (2017).

Tamil comeback and NTR biopic (2015–2022)

Back in Tamil cinema, Poonam danced to “Madras to Madurai” in Sundar C’s Aambala (2015) and played Nisha in Romeo Juliet (2015) with Jayam Ravi. She had a key role in the horror-comedy Aranmanai 2 (2016) and starred in Muthina Kathirikai (2016). In Kannada, she played Maya in Mast Mohabbat (2016).

In 2019 she returned to Telugu in Krish’s biopic N.T.R: Kathanayakudu, playing Garapati Lokeswari, and appeared in the Tamil film Kuppathu Raja with G. V. Prakash Kumar. In 2022 she starred in Pathonpatham Noottandu, Mei Hoom Moosa and Gurumoorthi.

Poonam Bajwa Movies List

Year Film Notes
2005 Modati Cinema Telugu; Sindhu (debut)
2006 Premante Inte Telugu; Pavani
2006 Boss Telugu; Sruthi; with Nagarjuna
2006 Thangigagi Kannada; Priya (Kannada debut)
2007 Veduka Telugu; Harini
2008 Parugu Telugu; Subbalakshmi
2008 Seval Tamil; Parijatham (Tamil debut)
2008 Thenavattu Tamil; Gayathri; with Jeeva
2010 Kacheri Arambam Tamil; Madhi; with Jeeva
2010 Drohi Tamil; Shruthi
2011 China Town Malayalam; Emily Gomez (Malayalam debut)
2011 Venicile Vyapari Malayalam; Mahalakshmi
2012 Shikari Malayalam / Kannada; Renuka / Nanditha
2012 Manthrikan Malayalam; Malu
2015 Romeo Juliet Tamil; Nisha
2016 Aranmanai 2 Tamil; Manju
2017 Masterpiece Malayalam; Smitha
2019 N.T.R: Kathanayakudu Telugu; Garapati Lokeswari
2019 Kuppathu Raja Tamil; Mary
2022 Pathonpatham Noottandu Malayalam; Queen of Travancore
2022 Mei Hoom Moosa Malayalam; Kunjipaathu
2022 Gurumoorthi Tamil

Poonam Bajwa Career Timeline

  • 2005: Wins Miss Pune; makes her film debut in the Telugu film Modati Cinema.
  • 2006: Stars opposite Nagarjuna in Boss and makes her Kannada debut in Thangigagi.
  • 2008: Plays a supporting role in Allu Arjun’s Parugu; makes her Tamil debut in Seval and acts with Jeeva in Thenavattu.
  • 2010: Appears in Kacheri Arambam and Sudha Kongara’s first film, Drohi.
  • 2011: Makes her Malayalam debut in China Town and stars in Mammootty’s Venicile Vyapari.
  • 2012: Appears in the bilingual Shikari and in Manthrikan.
  • 2015–2017: Acts in Tamil films Aambala, Romeo Juliet, Aranmanai 2 and Muthina Kathirikai, and in the Malayalam film Masterpiece.
  • 2019: Returns to Telugu in the NTR biopic N.T.R: Kathanayakudu.
  • 2022: Releases Pathonpatham Noottandu, Mei Hoom Moosa and Gurumoorthi.

Working Across Four Film Industries

Poonam’s career is a good example of a pan-South actress built before “pan-India” became a buzzword. Telugu cinema gave her a start and her first notable hit with Boss. Tamil cinema gave her rural, rooted roles that showed she could handle drama, and later horror-comedy through Sundar C’s Aranmanai 2. Malayalam cinema gave her the most steady work, mostly in big star vehicles with Mammootty, Mohanlal, Jayaram, Dileep and Suresh Gopi. Her Kannada work, from Thangigagi to Mast Mohabbat, completed the set. That range has kept her name familiar to audiences in all four southern states, even in years when she had no major release.

Poonam Bajwa as the Queen of Travancore in Pathonpatham Noottandu
source: imdb
Poonam Bajwa as the Queen of Travancore in Pathonpatham Noottandu (2022).

Poonam Bajwa Personal Life

Poonam Bajwa keeps her personal life private and has not publicly announced a marriage. She is close to her parents and her younger sister, Deepika, and her social media focuses on fitness, travel and fashion rather than her private life.

Acting Style and Screen Image

Poonam began as a conventional glamorous heroine in Telugu films, but her career has shifted toward supporting and character roles that suit different industries. In Tamil she became known for rooted village-set dramas such as Seval and Thenavattu. In Malayalam she worked mostly in big ensemble entertainers led by Mohanlal, Mammootty and Jayaram. Her later choices, including a biopic role in N.T.R: Kathanayakudu and a queen in Pathonpatham Noottandu, show a move toward period and character parts. Few actresses of her generation have worked so steadily in four South Indian languages.

Five Poonam Bajwa Films to Watch

  • Boss (2006): Her early Telugu breakthrough, opposite Nagarjuna.
  • Parugu (2008): A memorable supporting part in a popular Allu Arjun family drama.
  • Seval (2008): Her Tamil debut, in a rural drama directed by Hari.
  • China Town (2011): A Malayalam multi-starrer with Mohanlal, Jayaram and Dileep.
  • Pathonpatham Noottandu (2022): A regal role in a large-scale historical drama.

Lesser-Known Facts About Poonam Bajwa

  • She was spotted by a Telugu director at a ramp show in Hyderabad, shortly after winning Miss Pune.
  • Her father, Amarjit Singh Bajwa, served as a Naval officer.
  • She played the Queen of Travancore in Pathonpatham Noottandu.
  • She has acted in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada films.
  • She played Garapati Lokeswari in Krish’s biopic N.T.R: Kathanayakudu (2019).

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Poonam Bajwa FAQs

How old is Poonam Bajwa?

Poonam Bajwa was born on 5 April 1985, so she is 41 years old (as of 2026).

Where is Poonam Bajwa from?

She was born in Mumbai (then Bombay) to a Punjabi family and studied in Pune.

What was Poonam Bajwa’s first movie?

Her first film was the Telugu film Modati Cinema (2005), in which she played Sindhu. She was cast after a director spotted her at a ramp show in Hyderabad.

Is Poonam Bajwa married?

Poonam Bajwa has not publicly announced a marriage and keeps her personal life private.

Which Telugu films has Poonam Bajwa done?

Her Telugu films include Modati Cinema, Premante Inte, Boss, Veduka, Parugu and N.T.R: Kathanayakudu.

Is Poonam Bajwa related to Sonam Bajwa?

No. Despite the shared surname, Poonam Bajwa is not known to be related to Punjabi actress Sonam Bajwa.

Which Malayalam films has Poonam Bajwa done?

Her Malayalam films include China Town, Venicile Vyapari, Shikari, Manthrikan, Masterpiece, Pathonpatham Noottandu and Mei Hoom Moosa.

Was Poonam Bajwa Miss Pune?

Yes. She won the Miss Pune title in 2005, the same year she made her film debut in Modati Cinema.

Sources

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