You're too tall: Pooja Batra recalls struggling to land film roles due to height

Actor Pooja Batra has said that she lost out on film roles because some male stars were uncomfortable about how they would look next to her on screen. In a recent interview, Batra, who featured in films such as Virasat, Kuch Khatti Kuch Meethi, Jodi No. 1, Nayak: The Real Hero and Talaash: The Hunt Begins, said her height became a real hurdle in her career.

She said the issue was raised early on by actor Sangeeta Bijlani, whom she admired. Batra also recalled the adjustments she had to make on set, from changing the way she dressed to doing “half-splits” in close-up shots so that her co-stars looked taller. She added that Salman Khan was the only actor who never had a problem with her height.

What Pooja Batra said

In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar India, Batra said, “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 said the remark stayed with her because Bijlani was someone she looked up to. “She’s my idol. She’s beautiful, and she’s a model too,” Batra said.

Bijlani made her Bollywood debut with Qatil (1988) opposite Aditya Pancholi and worked for eight years in Bollywood. Her last film was Nirbhay (1996) opposite Mithun Chakraborty.

Batra said she still gave every role her best, but admitted that the problem around her height was real. “I gave every role 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,” she said.

Adjustments on set

Batra, who made her Hindi film debut with Priyadarshan’s 1997 film Virasat, said she would do “half-splits” in close-up shots so that her heroes looked taller. She also said that in the film, she wore colour-coordinated outfits to appear shorter on screen.

She said she often used her own clothes in films, both to dress shorter and to bring her personal fashion sense to her characters. According to Batra, directors would sometimes say, “Let her wear what she’s wearing,” when she arrived on set in her own wardrobe. At the same time, they would ask her to remove make-up for a more natural look. “I was like, at least sunblock toh lagane do (let me wear sunblock),” she said with a laugh.

Batra said Salman Khan was the only actor who never had an issue with her height. The two worked together in K Murali Mohana Rao’s 2000 romantic comedy Kahin Pyaar Na Ho Jaaye. Recalling that experience, she said, “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.”

How she sees it now

Batra said she and Bijlani helped open doors for taller women in the industry. Referring to Sushmita Sen and Deepika Padukone, she said, “They should say, ‘Thank you,’” and laughed. She also said, “Even in Hollywood, I respect all these tall actresses like Naomi Watts and Charlize Theron. I know how hard it is for a woman to make it despite the height.”

She added that Hindi cinema has moved forward because perceptions and cinemascope have changed. According to Batra, the frame now works differently on screen and can shorten how tall a person appears, while shorter people may sometimes look plumper than they are. She also noted that many of the world’s most famous actors are not very tall.