Overview
Pooja Sharma is an Indian actress and model who works primarily in Hindi television. She is best known for portraying Draupadi in the historical mythological series Mahabharat, which aired on Star Plus from 2013 to 2014. The role earned her wide recognition across the Indian subcontinent and in international markets where the dubbed series was telecast.
Key facts
| Name | Pooja Sharma |
|---|---|
| Profession | Actress, model |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Languages of work | Hindi |
| Medium | Television, modelling |
| Notable role | Draupadi in Mahabharat (Star Plus) |
| Active since | Late 2000s |
Background
Before entering the acting industry, Pooja Sharma worked as a model and participated in beauty pageant circuits. She was a finalist at the Miss India contest, which gave her early visibility in the fashion industry and led to assignments in print and television commercials. She subsequently transitioned to acting on Indian television.
Career
Early work
Sharma began her on-screen career with supporting and guest appearances in Hindi television serials. Her early credits included roles in shows produced for general entertainment channels, where she gained experience in long-format daily dramas.
Mahabharat (2013–2014)
Mahabharat, produced by Swastik Productions and aired on Star Plus, cast Sharma in the central role of Draupadi, the wife of the Pandavas. The series was a high-budget retelling of the epic and ran from September 2013 to August 2014. The show was widely viewed in India and was later dubbed into multiple languages including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Indonesian and others, leading to a strong international fan following for the cast.
Subsequent work
After Mahabharat, Sharma appeared in mythological and fantasy-themed productions on Indian television. She took on the role of Parvati and related divine characters in shows aired on Dangal TV, including projects centred on Shiva and the goddess tradition. She has also continued to undertake modelling assignments and brand endorsements alongside acting.
Timeline
- Pre-2013 — Modelling career and pageant participation; early television appearances.
- 2013 — Cast as Draupadi in Star Plus's Mahabharat.
- 2014 — Conclusion of Mahabharat telecast in India.
- Post-2014 — Roles in mythological television productions and continued modelling work.
Significance
Pooja Sharma's portrayal of Draupadi is considered one of the more prominent screen interpretations of the character in 21st-century Indian television. The role contributed to a renewed popular interest in epic adaptations on Hindi general entertainment channels during the early 2010s and helped establish her as a recognisable face in the mythological genre, a category that has remained commercially significant on Indian television.