Biography

Poonam Basu is an actor, writer, and filmmaker from New York, currently based in Los Angeles. Her first love was dance, beginning at the age of 2. She began reciting nursery rhymes on stage at Indian cultural events at age 3. Her first formal acting class was in 6th grade. In high school, she traveled with a theater troupe to Regensberg, Germany to perform. While studying at Harvard during the summer before her senior year, Poonam did a theater internship with the LOEB experimental theater in Cambridge. While completing her bachelors in Spanish Literature at NYU, Poonam studied in Madrid for a semester and had the opportunity to perform an original piece in Spanish for the public. She returned to NYU for a Master's in Educational Children's Television, an interdisciplinary degree from the Gallatin School of Individualized Study, combining coursework in the Film school (Tisch School of the Arts) as well as the Education school (Steinhardt School of Education). Her thesis, "Using Neuroscience to Enhance the Efficacy of Children's Programming," included a pilot episode of an original animated children's show. Poonam has been nominated for Best Actress five times so far, and garnered a Best Screenplay nomination for her film, Everfall in 2021. Poonam believes fiercely in the role of artists to mold the future of human society. She aspires to create work that inspires, uplifts, and engenders love.