Pooja Hegde on being offered female-led films

Actor Pooja Hegde has gone through quite a journey indeed where this year, she completes a decade in the industry. Going on to talk about it at length with ETimes, Hegde mentioned how it was sheer destiny that she ended up in the movies. She said, “I do think that sometimes things happen for a reason. Who would have thought that a girl from an academically-driven family would land up here! Also, I think this profession and this business picked me and not the other way around. Destiny held my hand and pulled me into this world. I am grateful for that."

While it was Bollywood she debuted with, she has become one of the topmost stars down south starring in films ranging from Ala Vaikunthapuramuloo to Radhe Shyam that released this past week. “All my directors and my co-stars have repeatedly worked with me, which I think is the biggest compliment for any actor. When someone decides to work with you again, it says a lot about your work. It also cements my reasons to sleep less and work more," she added.

At a time when many films decided to take the OTT route, Hegde and Prabhas’ Radhe Shyam steered away from it. “I am just happy that films are being released in theatres. Radhe Shyam is a period film with a canvas that had to be experienced in a cinema hall on that large screen. This film is a culmination of four years of all our efforts. I am glad I had put in the effort to understand my character’s inner and outer worlds, which helped me stay with her despite the breaks due to the pandemic.”

Concluding talking about how if she feels releasing films on OTT platforms brought down the pressure on actors for delivering box office numbers? Pooja says, “The kind of business my film, Most Eligible Bachelor, did, it gave others the confidence to put their money on another film that I could shoulder. I’ve been offered female-led stories, and that has boosted my confidence, too. I’ve always wanted to be a producer’s actor who helps them get their money back and more. With the presence of OTT platforms, the pressure of how much money has been made at the box office is definitely off. It has set filmmakers free. They’re increasingly delving into varied narratives without the fear of how it will do at the box office. It is not solely about the entertainment factor, they can easily focus on the content. Of course, it’s amazing when the film does great business.”