Pooja Hegde’s line-up of upcoming releases make for almost intimidating reading: Most Eligible Bachelor, Radhe Shyam, Acharya, Cirkus, Beast and Bhaijaan.
Her co-stars include Prabhas, Vijay, Ranveer Singh and Salman Khan, and earlier this week, it was announced that she’s also reuniting with her Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo director Trivikram Srinivas for Mahesh Babu’s next.
But the actor carries the pressure of these big-budget projects lightly on her shoulders; she insists that work needs to be fun for her, or she’ll find a way to make it enjoyable, notwithstanding the star cast or crew.
Also Read | Get ‘First Day First Show’, our weekly newsletter from the world of cinema, in your inbox . You can subscribe for free here
The 30-year-old has well and truly established herself as a name that directors and leading co-stars across the country covet, and after much success with Telugu projects in recent years, she is poised for pan-Indian popularity in the years to come.
Even though her last release was in January 2020, Pooja has been busy throughout the course of the pandemic, not only filming, but also with her foundation All About Love through which she pledges a portion of her salary to charity.
Now, looking ahead to a potentially career-defining 2022, the actor talks to The Hindu about her almost-decade in the industry, the life lessons she swears by, and why she prioritises her happiness above all else.
Excerpts from an interview:
It’s been 18 months since your last release, Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo . But you have managed to stay relevant and popular throughout the pandemic somehow; how do you explain that?
I’m glad you say that; I feel a little better (laughs) . But yeah, I actually think I’m one of the lucky ones who had a release just before the pandemic, and it was a huge success that lingered on in people’s minds. It also had a second coming of sorts on Netflix, where a lot of non-Telugu speaking viewers also accessed Ala. .., liked me in it, and went and watched some of my older films.
That was great, but I would have had a bunch of releases had it not been for COVID-19. I feel like I’ve been shooting so much; in fact, three of my films are ready and set to release, but we have to wait patiently until things are safer and theatres reopen.
A lot of other actors have taken on OTT projects over the last year and half. Have you consciously avoided that space while waiting for your theatrical films?
Not at all. Last year, I had all these films lined up and the producers have stuck to their guns, instead of opting for an OTT release. When it comes to streaming content, I’m definitely open to doing it if something interesting comes my way. I think the reach of all the digital platforms today is phenomenal, so I would love to consider such direct-to-digital scripts as well.
Pooja: ‘I really stand by this rule: the time that you appear on-screen has to be memorable.’
Your career stands out for its array of commercial hits, headlined by A-list male leads. How do you try to make an impact in such films which are geared towards the hero’s fandom?
I really stand by this rule: the time that you appear on-screen has to be memorable. The perfect example is Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo . The biggest part of the film were the songs — be it Samajavaragamana or Butta Bomma — and they were about the girl! So it’s really about what I’m doing with that half hour or 45 mins of screen time.
Then, it’s about relationships, because sometimes you want to work with the director. If someone like a Rajkumar Hirani, Sanjay Leela Bhansali or SS Rajamouli calls me tomorrow, I’m not going to ask them for a narration; I’ll say yes immediately. In fact, that’s what happened when Rohit Shetty approached me for Cirkus . I was so excited that I forgot to ask him who the male lead was. Then when I found out it was Ranveer, I was all like, whaaaat!?!
So there are different reasons you choose a project as an actor. I’ve always been a team player all my life, and I think it’s important to do that also.
Your foundation All About Love reminds one of footballer Juan Mata’s Common Goal. Is your aim to motivate others in the film industry to follow in your wake?
Absolutely, that’s the point. Growing up as a kid, I used to watch Ellen DeGeneres or Oprah, where they did all these giveaways and that totally inspired me. I had puppy dog eyes, looking at people in the audience being ecstatic with happiness. I really hoped I could do that one day, even though back then, I wasn’t sure if such an idea would ever come to fruition.
Today, if someone — I don’t mean other celebrities — but if anyone at all is motivated by All About Love to give back in some way, I think it’s a job well done.
‘I do whatever it takes to preserve my own happiness’
Last year, a video of a fan who travelled to Mumbai and waited for five days on the road to meet you, went viral. While it’s heartening to know fans admire you so much, does any part of stardom scare you?
You know, I come from a very academically-driven family, and for me to have entered this industry and gotten this far, it’s because of the fans. I get it when they feel passionate about movies, and it only pushes me further. Whenever I hear that someone has driven for two hours to go to a theatre or spent their college pocket money to watch a film of mine, I genuinely feel touched. What we do as actors actually affects people and that makes me feel responsible.
I was tearing up when I met that person who slept on the footpath waiting to see me, and I was telling him all this really isn’t necessary just to meet an actor. I really hope that once the pandemic is over, we get a chance to interact with our fans more in person.
You have close to 15 million followers on Instagram. That sort of reach on social media is quite massive, even for an actor. How conscious are you about what you post online?
I have to admit that during the pandemic, I actually kind of reduced my social media usage because our mental health is so important. I remember there was a phase when everything around us appeared just so... bleak, and for my own benefit, I stayed away from Instagram, etc.
Having said that, I’ve never really had a strategy for my social media usage, even though I understand why it’s important. I feel like I can really influence people right now in some way, which is why I only post positive stuff online. I also really try to be real on Instagram, which is why I constantly post about my family, because my life does revolve around them a lot.
People ask me how I appear so happy and optimistic all the time. I really am not that person always — I also have plenty of lows — but I don’t want to share those moments as I’d rather make people smile.
So then, what does Pooja Hegde do when things don’t work out?
Something I learnt from Oprah Winfrey sticks with me. If something bad happens, you get a maximum of 15 minutes to deal with it; you cry your heart out, do whatever you want, and then you get up and go back to work. I’ve always followed that.
I’m also someone for whom work needs to be fun. Even on the most boring days, I find ways to entertain myself in my own silly little goofy ways. I’m a full-on nerd and create my own bubble for myself.
To quote yet another celebrity, Will Smith said this: ‘You cannot make a person happy. You can make a person smile, you can make a person feel good, you can make a person laugh but whether or not a person is happy deeply, totally and utterly out of your control.’
So yes, I’m always in charge of my own happiness, and I do whatever it takes to preserve it because that’s the most important thing in the world.
Finally, though you have other projects in the pipeline, Radhe Shyam and Beast are probably the most anticipated ones...
Radhe Shyam is a period flick with fashion and romance woven into it, and I love that the female lead’s role is phenomenal. It’s something that is really close to my heart, and you are going to see a lot of me in it, as the storyline tracks mine and Prabhas’ journey together.
As far as Beast goes , I really hope my director Nelson reads this interview and gives me some action sequences; I’d love to try it out! The experience has been really good so far, as the set has been such a fun place. Vijay is someone who’s so chill and calm, and that is something that really resonates with me.
He and Nelson have created a fantastic environment on set with such a great vibe to it, that I didn’t want to pack up and leave. During my last schedule, we had to wind up early due to the rains in Chennai, and I was so disappointed to go back to Mumbai. It was like I’d been prematurely sent home.
The best sets are those when you don’t want to say bye even after the shoot for the day is done, and you keep wanting to work more; Beast has been that kind of journey so far.
