Pooja was introduced by a friend of her to cinematographer-turned-director
Jeeva, who signed her for the role of
Anglo-Indian girl in his Tamil venture
Ullam Ketkumae. Pooja said that at that time she planned to finish that film and return to her original job and did not take an acting career into consideration. She stated: "I said to myself I'd act in just this film, see what it's like, make good use of the money and get back to studying". Pooja received favorable reviews for her performance in
Jay Jay; G. Ulaganathan from
Deccan Herald wrote: "Spirited, lively, Pooja's sparkling eyes and smile do leave an impression". She next played the romantic interest of
Ajith Kumar in another Saran film,
Attahasam, which, in spite of mixed critical response, went on to become a financial success. Pooja, too, met with criticism, with critics citing that she had "only limited role" and was "wasted [...] in an insignificant and half-baked role". Pooja's subsequent release happened to be
Ullam Ketkumae that featured her in one of the five leading roles alongside
Shaam,
Laila,
Arya and
Asin. The film fetched positive remarks and emerged as a
sleeper hit. She went to appear in commercial Tamil films such as
Thambi and
Pori. In 2007, Pooja also appeared in a Malayalam film,
Panthaya Kozhi, before landing the lead female role in
Bala's
Naan Kadavul. Her portrayal of Hamshavalli, a blind beggar, was critically appreciated and earned her several accolades, including the
Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil and
Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Female Character Artiste. Following
Naan Kadavul, Pooja went on a sabbatical, appeared just in
cameo roles in
TN-07 AL 4777,
Drohi and the Telugu film
Orange. Her big budget film
Kusa Paba released in early 2012 and became the highest grosser ever in the history of Sri Lankan film industry. Critics praised Pooja for her role of Pabawathi. ==Filmography==