Former Miss India US Pooja Kumar who has starred in Hollywood movies such as Man on a Ledge, Brawl in Cell Block 99, and the Bollywood film Hero, will next be seen opposite Kamal Haasan in Vishwaroopam 2 releasing on August 10.

She said: “It is an extension of my role in the prequel — Vishwaroopam. The film spoke of global terrorism and how terrorists escape. In Part II we try to confine them as a bomb is going to explode. In the first film I played an oncologist, who doesn’t know that her husband works for the Indian Army. He is a dancer in the film and in this film I come to know that he is a spy. At the end, I defuse the bomb, and I am glad the heroine helps him in it.”

The Vishwaroopam actress is all praise for actor-director Kamal Haasan.

She said: “He demands excellence and is passionate about what he does. One thing he doesn’t like is reporting late to the sets. Besides he wants you to know your character and dialogue when you are on the sets. He used to come on time and before everyone arrived. Second, he hates make- up. He was natural and I was scared to be natural. The business of cinema is difficult and since he spends so much time on creating such awesome characters he expects you to be passionate about it.”

Pooja, 41, is a certified scuba diver and has many underwater sequences in the film too. “I think that is one of the reasons he signed me for the film. I am glad I got to do so much action.”

She added that Kamal is witty and serious at the same time on the sets.

“He is usually quiet. You can’t walk up to him and ask him about your scenes. He just says next. You go by your instinct. He takes one or two takes. Since he started his career at the age of 16 as a dance choreographer, it has disciplined him. When you have knowledge of music and dance you can choreograph scenes and that is something unique about him,” Pooja said, adding that she has seen Kamal’s Sadma at least 15 times.

“I love Chachi 420. Mahanadi was brilliant and then there was Sagar Sangamam. He was brilliant and he could play that old character at such a young age and young characters in his old age with such ease says a lot about him as an actor.”