Pooja Hegde

Early life and work

Pooja Hegde was born on 13 October 1990, and states she was raised in Mumbai, Maharashtra in a Tulu-speaking Bunt family. Her father, Manjunath Hegde, is a criminal lawyer and her mother, Latha Hegde, is an immunologist and entrepreneur. They are originally from Udupi, Karnataka. Her elder brother Rishabh Hegde, is an orthopaedic surgeon. Besides Tulu, she is fluent in English, Hindi, Marathi and Kannada. She later learnt Telugu following a career in Telugu cinema. She considers Bengaluru as her home town, and maintains strong connections there. She did her schooling in Maneckji Cooper Education Trust School, Mumbai. She went to M. M. K. College, graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce degree. She has trained in classical dance and music, including Bharatanatyam.

A representative from Miss India met Hegde at one of her college events and suggested her to participate in the pageant. Hegde competed in the Miss India 2009 competition, but was eliminated in an early round despite winning the Miss India Talented 2009 honour. In 2010, she participated in the Femina Miss India South 2010 pageant, securing the runner-up position and earning the Miss India South Glamorous Hair 2010 title. Later that same year, she achieved the position of second runner-up in the Miss Universe India 2010 pageant. She rejected offers of several projects from big production banners over three years before debuting in Mugamoodi. She accepted the project by her mother's suggestion.

Career

Early work (2012–2017)

After noticing still photographs of her pageant win, Mysskin offered Hegde her debut in his Tamil superhero film Mugamoodi (2012) opposite Jiiva. She portrayed Shakthi, a fun-loving girl who inspires the male lead to change his outlook on society. Hegde practised Tamil dialogues for the film by writing and memorising words in English, adding similarities between Tamil and her mother tongue Tulu.

Prior to its release, the film garnered high expectations due to its novel theme of a superhero in Tamil cinema, and had a strong opening at the box office in August 2012. She earned nominations for the SIIMA Award for Best Female Debut – Tamil and Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut – South.

Expanding to Telugu cinema in 2014, Hegde starred opposite Naga Chaitanya in the romantic comedy Oka Laila Kosam. The success of the production house Annapurna Studios and director Vijay Konda's previous ventures prompted her to sign the project. She learned Telugu language to play the female lead. Her portrayal of Nandana received positive reception. Ranjani Rajendra of The Hindu was appreciative of Hegde's screen presence, while Suresh Kavirayani of Deccan Chronicle lauded her debut. Around the same time, she was nominated for Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu. The film proved to be a commercial success. Hegde was next cast opposite Varun Tej in Srikanth Addala's drama Mukunda. Reviewers of the film were generally pleased with the chemistry between the lead pair. Hegde has said that the song "Gopikamma" marked a major breakthrough in her career. It became another successful financial venture for her.

In 2016, Hegde made her Hindi film film debut as the female lead opposite Hrithik Roshan in Ashutosh Gowariker's period film Mohenjo Daro, set against the backdrop of the Indus Valley Civilisation. She was selected after Gowariker's wife, Sunita Gowariker, spotted her in an advertisement and called her for an audition. Lisa Tsering of The Hollywood Reporter dismissed her performance as "forgettable blandness". In 2017, she starred in Harish Shankar's Telugu action comedy DJ: Duvvada Jagannadham, opposite Allu Arjun. Hegde described her role as an outgoing and modern girl, unlike her previous roles in Telugu films, which she considered traditional. Manoj Kumar R from The Indian Express wrote that "Hegde has convincingly done the given job that is to look stunning in every frame of the film". DJ opened to commercial success grossing over emerging as one of the highest-grossing Telugu films of 2017.

Commercial success and fluctuations (2018–2024)

In 2018, Hegde featured in three Telugu films. She began the year with an item number "Jigelu Rani" for the period action Rangasthalam. She next starred opposite Bellamkonda Sreenivas in the fantasy action Saakshyam, portraying the role of a middle-class Brahmin girl who was a spiritual leader. Murali Krishna C H found that she "gets more screen time in this film compared to her last outing DJ and she does a good job". In her final appearance that year, she played the titular character in Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava directed by Trivikram Srinivas, where she dubbed for herself. She played Aravinda, who significantly influenced Veera Raghava Reddy (N. T. Rama Rao Jr.), to challenge the deep-rooted enmity and seek a path of non-violence and self-discovery. Sangeetha Devi Dundoo from The Hindu credited her role as "impressive" and wrote that she "gets to be more than a glam doll and enjoys her role". The film was the second-highest-grossing Telugu film of the year and grossed over worldwide attaining a blockbuster status.

In 2019, Hegde's first film was Vamshi Paidipally's Maharshi co-starring Mahesh Babu. Her second Telugu film that year was the Harish Shankar-directed Gaddalakonda Ganesh, a remake of the 2014 Tamil-language film Jigarthanda, co-starring Varun Tej and Atharvaa. Lauding her chemistry with Tej, Hemanth Kumar noted that she "fits into her character quite well". She suffered sunburn during the filming of the song "Elluvochi Godaramma", in the middle of the river at Yanam. Hegde returned to Bollywood after a gap of three years with Sajid Nadiadwala's comedy film Housefull 4, directed by Farhad Samji, the fourth instalment of the Housefull franchise, featuring her as Rajkumari Mala and Pooja (reincarnated). The film received predominantly negative reviews, but was one of the highest grossers of the year, earning .

In 2020, she reunited with both Arjun and Trivikram in the Telugu action drama film Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, in which she portrayed the role of a travel company head Amulya, a self-made businesswoman. Neeshita Nyayapati noted that "Hegde manages to bring in spunk into a character that is nothing more than a manic pixie dream girl, but she sure is a delight to watch on-screen". Her performance fetched her several awards, including the SIIMA Award for Best Actress – Telugu. Hegde's dance performance in the song "Butta Bomma" received wide response. The film became the first South Indian film to achieve nett in single language and was ranked among the highest-grossing Telugu films of all time, grossing over . In 2021, Hegde starred in Most Eligible Bachelor, directed by Bommarillu Bhaskar opposite Akhil Akkineni, in which she played the role of a stand-up comedian. To prepare for the role, she met several stand-up comedians to learn how they prepare their punchlines. Her performance in the film received positive reception and won her another SIIMA Best Actress – Telugu award. Ram Venkat Srikar from Cinema Express lauded her well-written role and her performance, which does justice to that writing.

She began 2022 by playing the lead opposite Prabhas in the multilingual period romance film Radhe Shyam, directed by Radha Krishna Kumar. Set in 1970s Europe, the film is a love saga of two individuals with different approaches to life: Vikramaditya (Prabhas), who follows fate and destiny, falls for Dr. Prerana (Hegde), who deeply believes in the power of science. It is one of the most expensive Indian films produced. Monika Rawal Kukreja praised her performance and noted that "she performs the emotional sequences with a lot of maturity and conviction". The film broke record for the highest opening-day earnings, but failed to recoup its budget. Hegde next starred alongside Vijay in the Tamil action comedy Beast, directed by Nelson. Produced by Sun Pictures, the film marked her return to Tamil cinema after a gap of 9 years. Jose K George of The Week wrote that she looks pretty and does a decent job. Hegde's #ArabicKuthuChallenge went viral on social media, and many recreated her signature step. Despite mixed reviews, the film broke several box office records and was a commercial success. In the same year, she took on a brief role in the Telugu-language action drama film Acharya, starring Chiranjeevi and Charan. She performed her second dance number in the film, F3: Fun and Frustration alongside Venkatesh and Tej in the party song "Life Ante Itta Vundaala". In her final release of 2022, Hegde played one of the female leads opposite Ranveer Singh in Rohit Shetty's poorly received Hindi period comedy drama film Cirkus, an adaptation of the William Shakespeare's play The Comedy of Errors.

In 2023, she starred opposite Salman Khan in Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, directed by Farhad Samji. She played the role of a Telugu girl who transforms the life of the protective and solitary Bhaijaan (played by Khan). Ronak Kotecha of The Times of India, wrote, "Pooja has a meaty role, which she pulls off confidently, but could have dialed down over-the-top filmy antics." The film also underperformed commercially.

Recent work (2025–present)

Following a year hiatus, Hegde began 2025 by playing a journalist Diya opposite Shahid Kapoor in the Hindi action thriller Deva. Vinamra Mathur from Firstpost stated that she was "severely underutilized". It had poor box-office returns. She next played Rukmini, a veterinarian opposite Suriya in Karthik Subbaraj's Tamil film Retro. Avinash Ramachandran of The Indian Express was appreciative of her "convincing performance". The film emerged a commercial success. Later, she made a special appearance in the Tamil film Coolie, starring Rajinikanth and directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. Her glamorous performance in the dance number "Monica" became widely popular and earned praise from Italian actress Monica Bellucci. The sequence was physically demanding, filmed in extreme heat, humidity, and dust at a port, causing sunburns, blisters, and lasting tan lines. Marking her first major dance performance after recovering from a ligament tear, it required significant resilience, notably while filming on Maha Shivaratri (26 February 2025), when she performed despite fasting.

She will next reunite with Vijay in Jana Nayagan. Hegde will also star alongside Varun Dhawan in Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, in Kanchana film series sequel Kanchana 4 co-starring Raghava Lawrence, and will also star opposite Dulquer Salmaan in romantic film DQ41.{{Cite web |date=11 September 2025 |title= CONFIRMED! Pooja Hegde joins Dulquer Salmaan’s next as leading lady! |url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/south-cinema/confirmed-pooja-hegde-joins-dulquer-salmaans-next-leading-lady/ |access-date= 11 September 2025 |website=Bollywood Hungama}}

Other work

Hegde supports various causes through her foundation, "All About Love", which focuses on providing education and healthcare support to underprivileged children across India. She contributes a portion of her earnings to fund the foundation's operations. Hegde has been vocal on various topics, including women's rights, gender equality, and addressing the gender pay gap. She was honoured as the "Star on the Rise" at Femina and Mamaearth's Beautiful Indians 2023 for her philanthropic efforts.

In 2020, Hegde collaborated with Drools on a campaign to support stray animals, with Drools providing six months' worth of food for homeless strays and Hegde contributing an additional six months' supply. In 2017, she covered the full medical expenses for two children at the cancer ward of Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai. In 2020, she participated in a charity fundraiser organised by the Cure Foundation for children with cancer and supported the sixth biennial Cancer Crusaders Invitation Cup golf tournament in Hyderabad to raise funds. In 2021, she launched the 'Hamari Suraksha' digital campaign with the Women and Child Safety Organisation (WCSO) at Women Power Line 1090 in Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, promoting awareness of the helpline with hashtags #HumForHer and #FarqPadtaHai. During the first and second waves of COVID-19, Hegde provided medical assistance and essential supplies through her foundation. In May 2020, she partnered with photographer Atul Kasbekar and Tring India for a PPE Kit drive, donating 20,000 PPE kits to over 50 hospitals across India. In 2021, during the second wave, she organised the distribution of a month’s rations to 100 families.

Hegde has supported child cancer patients by covering medical bills and provided financial aid to a family whose primary breadwinner was in a coma. Her foundation also donated to a children's hospital in Mangalore to support children with artificial limbs. On 5 June 2024, for World Environment Day, Hegde led Garnier's Green Beauty beach clean-up, working as a sanitation worker to restore garbage-laden areas in Mumbai, including Juhu Beach, and encouraged public participation in maintaining cleanliness.

Hegde has participated in numerous world tours and concerts, including the "Da-Bangg Tour" with Salman Khan. She performed at Expo 2020 in Dubai in February 2022 and in Kolkata in May 2023 as part of the tour. In 2025, she performed at the opening ceremony of the 2025 International League T20 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium alongside Shahid Kapoor. She has also performed at the SIIMA, Filmfare, and Zee Cine award ceremonies. In 2018, Hegde was on the mentors' panel of the Miss India pageant. She also served as a judge at Miss World 2023.

In the media

Hegde is recognised as one of India's most sought-after actresses. She is considered one of the highest-paid South Indian actresses. Her journey from a beauty pageant runner-up in 2010 to a leading actress has been marked by her confidence and determination, as noted by Rupam Jain of Indulge Express. She stood at the 7th place on Forbes Indias Most Influential Stars on Instagram in South Cinema for the year 2021. She is one of the most-followed South Indian actresses on Instagram.

Nibandh Vinod of News18 noted, "With her charming screen presence and versatility, Pooja has become a favorite among audiences and filmmakers alike." Aishwarya Vasudevan of OTTPlay highlighted her "charisma, screen presence, and a significant fan base across industries". Abhilasha Cherukuri of The New Indian Express described her as "one of the very few actors to successfully balance multiple industries", cementing her status as a pan-Indian star. Suman Sharma of Filmfare called her "an epitome of beauty" whose "ethereal looks are mesmerising", emphasising her ability to balance a demanding career across industries.

Hegde is described as a style icon. Dayle Pereira of NDTV noted that "her aesthetic falls on the more minimal side", citing her ability to make simple outfits look chic. Snigdha Oreya of News18 called her "one of the most stylish celebrities in the industry right now". Maaahi Shah of Elle called her "the ultimate fighter" who finds parts of herself in her style choices. She has frequently featured in Times Most Desirable Woman list. She was the Hyderabad Times Most Desirable Woman of 2017. In the same list, she stood 5th in 2019 and 3rd in 2020. She was one of the most searched actresses on Google multiple times and ranked among the most searched Asians in 2022. Hegde is a prominent celebrity endorser for brands and products, including Citra, pTron, Garnier, IGP, and Maaza, and was the first brand ambassador for Bhima Jewellers.

Filmography

Accolades

References

References

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91. Ronak, Kotecha. (21 April 2023). "Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan Review".
92. Seta, Fenil. (11 May 2023). "Trade experts discuss what went wrong with Salman Khan's Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan: "It did whatever business it could because of Salman Khan. Take Salman Khan out of the film and it would have fallen like a pack of cards"".
93. Verma, Sakshi. (5 September 2024). "Shahid Kapoor, Pooja Hegde wrap up 'Deva', know its release date here".
94. Vinamra, Mathur. (31 January 2025). "Shahid Kapoor and Pooja Hegde's Deva Movie Review: A forgettable remake of Prithviraj Sukumaran's Mumbai Police salvaged by its leading man".
95. Seta, Fenil. (6 February 2025). "What went wrong with Deva? Trade experts share their views and slam Shahid Kapoor for his 'Deva is not a remake' statement: "Why should one hide it that too in today's times of social media? Why don't you accept it?"".
96. SM, Shashiprasad. (1 June 2024). "Pooja Hegde Onboard Director Karthik Subbaraj's Upcoming Film With Suriya".
97. (1 May 2025). "Pooja Hegde drops unseen glimpses of her role as Rukmani in Retro with a heartfelt note: "I leave behind a piece of my heart with her"".
98. Ramachandran, Avinash. (1 May 2025). "Retro movie review: Suriya powers an entertaining, layered, but slightly shaky Karthik Subbaraj film".
99. (9 May 2025). "Suriya donates Rs. 10 crore from Retro profits to Agaram Foundation". [[Bollywood Hungama]].
100. Md Sayem, Kawser. (13 May 2025). "Suriya's 'Retro' Roars: A Bold Comeback With Myth, Action, And Box Office Glory".
101. (11 July 2025). "Pooja Hegde Sets Internet Ablaze With Dance Moves In Coolie Song ‘Monica’".
102. (12 August 2025). "'Biggest Compliment Ever': Monica Bellucci Saw Pooja Hegde's Song Monica From Coolie & She 'Loved It'".
103. (1 September 2025). "Do Not Disturb, Pooja Hegde Is Sick And She Needs Some Rest To Recover".
104. (12 August 2025). "Monica Bellucci’s praise for 'Coolie' song inspired by her name leaves Pooja Hegde thrilled".
105. (17 July 2025). "Monica From Coolie: Pooja Hegde Reveals She Fasted While Shooting For Song, Admits To Combating Heat And Sunburn".
106. K, Janani. (2 October 2024). "Thalapathy 69: Pooja Hegde reunites with Vijay for H Vinoth's film".
107. Sharma, Priyanka. (2 December 2024). "Pooja Hegde wraps Mumbai schedule of 'Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai'".
108. Prakash, B. V. S.. (21 December 2024). "Pooja Hegde set to play ghost in Kanchana 4".
109. (11 September 2025). "Pooja Hegde Is Back To Woo Dulquer Salmaan in DQ41".
110. C, Shalini. (29 July 2021). "Pooja Hegde: பாராட்டுகளை குவிக்கும் 'பீஸ்ட்' நடிகை பூஜா ஹெக்டேவின் செயல்".
111. Singh, Mohnish. (4 August 2023). "Praise be for Pooja Hegde".
112. Sunder, Gautam. (27 November 2021). "Pooja Hegde: The nerd who's the architect of her own happiness".
113. Goyal, Divya. (20 February 2019). "Pooja Hegde says actresses are making 100-crore films, it's time for equal pay".
114. Ramachandran, Avinash. (19 April 2022). "Pooja Hegde: I want to do films that make women feel represented".
115. Sachdev, Ravina M. (19 May 2023). "The Star on the Rise Award goes to Pooja Hegde at FMBI S2".
116. Kaur, Parmpreet. (10 January 2020). "Bollywood actress Pooja Hegde teams up with leading pet food brand Drools for a food donation drive".
117. (2 November 2017). "Respect: Pooja Hegde to sponsor medical treatment for two kids at Tata Memorial Hospital".
118. सिंह, अरविंद. (28 September 2017). "केंसर पीड़ित बच्चों के लिए काम कर रही ऋतिक रोशन की ये हीरोइन".
119. Subrahmanyam, V.V.. (22 January 2020). "Pooja Hegde donates 25 lakh to cancer foundation".
120. Shukla, Abhishek. (4 October 2021). "This sexual harassment jung is not only for women but men too should join this fight: Pooja Hegde".
121. ஜெகராஜா, நிவேதா. (27 July 2021). ""இந்த உலகை மாற்றும் பெரிய சக்தி... அன்பு!" - அறக்கட்டளை ஆரம்பித்த பூஜா ஹெக்டே".
122. Sharma, Isha. (20 May 2020). "20,000 PPE kits donated to over 50 hospitals, Bollywood celebrities conclude a successful drive".
123. Vaitla, Narender. (23 July 2021). "Pooja Hegde: పూజా హెగ్డే మనసు కూడా అందమే.. ఆల్‌ అబౌట్‌ లవ్‌ పేరుతో సేవా కార్యక్రమానికి శ్రీకారం చుట్టిన బుట్టబొమ్మ.".
124. Sojatia, Devyani. (18 May 2023). "Actors who won big at Femina and Mamaearth Beautiful Indians 2023".
125. Shah, Pooja. (18 May 2022). "Pooja Hegde: Girl on the Rise".
126. Shek, Basha. (5 June 2024). "Pooja Hegde: బీచ్ లో చెత్తను క్లీన్ చేసి, మొక్కలు నాటిన బుట్ట బొమ్మ.. వీడియో వైరల్.. అభిమానుల ప్రశంసలు".
127. (5 June 2024). "Pooja Hegde leads clean-up drive at Mumbai beach as part of Garnier Green Beauty program, says 'I'm inspired'".
128. नीरज, वर्षा. (25 February 2022). "Video: सलमान खान ने किया दो हिरोइनों संग डांस, एक तरफ पूजा हेगड़े तो दूसरी तरफ सई मांजरेकर".
129. Fatima, Sakina. (23 February 2022). "Salman Khan's Da-Bangg tour set to dazzle at Expo 2020 Dubai".
130. Kundu, Indrajit. (11 May 2023). "Salman Khan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Disha Patani: Da-Bangg Tour Kolkata tickets prices go up to Rs. 3 lakh".
131. Naval-Shetye, Aakanksha. (20 January 2025). "Shahid Kapoor, Pooja Hegde, Sonam Bajwa set to dazzle at DP World ILT20 Season 3 opening ceremony in Dubai".
132. (16 September 2024). "Pooja Hegde owns the red carpet at SIIMA Awards 2024 with glamorous looks".
133. Nyayapati, Neeshita. (11 October 2022). "67th Parle Filmfare Awards South 2022: Pushpa wins big at South cinema's biggest night".
134. (27 March 2023). "Pooja Hegde sets stage on fire at Zee Cine Awards 2023".
135. Singh, Mohnish. (17 May 2018). "fbb Colors Femina Miss India West announces winners for the year 2018".
136. Pereira, Dayle. (7 July 2024). "Pooja Hegde in a pink sequin gown is a judge for the night but almost looks like a beauty queen herself for 71st Miss World 2024 pageant in Mumbai".
137. Singh, Mohnish. (15 October 2022). "Pooja Hegde: When the Stars Align".
138. Janani, K. (28 July 2021). "With Vijay's Beast, Life Has Come Full Circle, Says Pooja Hegde".
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140. Amena, Rasti. (11 March 2022). "6cr per project: Who is the highest paid South Indian actress?". [[The Siasat Daily]].
141. Jain, Rupam. (4 May 2024). "There Is No Right or Wrong About Fashion, Says Pooja Hegde".
142. Shekhar, Divya J. (14 October 2021). "Meet the 30 most influential social media stars of South cinema".
143. Hendriques, Princia. (27 March 2025). "From Rashmika to Samantha: Meet the 10 most-followed South Indian actresses on Instagram".
144. Vinod, Nibandh. (13 October 2024). "Pooja Hegde Birthday: Top Movies, Hit Songs, Upcoming Projects and Rumoured Romance".
145. Vasudevan, Aishwarya. (28 April 2025). "Retro actor Pooja Hegde's Bollywood journey: From Mohenjo Daro to Deva".
146. Cherukuri, Abhilasha. (20 April 2023). "Pooja Hegde: I Want to Be a Part of a Women-Centric Film".
147. Sharma, Suman. (23 November 2023). "Exclusive: Pooja Hegde on Being a Pan-Indian Star, Success, and What Keeps Her Going".
148. Munshi, Priyanka. (11 January 2024). "Pooja Hegde And Her Stunning Ethnic Collection Will Make You Go Gaga".
149. K, Janani. (19 May 2022). "Pooja Hegde: Style Icon".
150. Pereira, Dayle. (29 January 2025). "Pooja Hegde Can Make Even a Simple Maxi Dress Look Super Chic".
151. Oreya, Snigdha. (17 June 2025). "In Her Kanjivaram Era, Pooja Hegde Exudes Traditional Glam".
152. Shah, Maaahi. (19 April 2025). "Elle Digital Cover Star: Pooja Hegde Pushing the Boundary".
153. Yellapantula, Suhas. (28 February 2022). "Meet The Times 50 Most Desirable Women 2019". [[The Times of India]].
154. (10 May 2018). "Here are the Other Winners of The Times 50 Most Desirable Women 2017". [[The Times of India]].
155. Yellapantula, Suhas. (14 March 2018). "Most Desirable Woman 2017: Pooja Hegde".
156. (17 March 2020). "Hyderabad Times Most Desirable Women 2019: Gosh! These Divas Are Oh So Oomph". [[The Times of India]].
157. (3 June 2021). "Hyderabad Times Most Desirable Women 2020: Behold, the Divas Who Ooze Desirability". [[The Times of India]].
158. Praveenkumar, K.. (14 December 2022). "Google's Most Searched South Actresses in 2022".
159. (14 December 2016). "Year in Search 2016".
160. Kanabar, Nirali. (29 June 2022). "Google Top 100 Most Searched Asians Full List: Sidhu Moose Wala at 3, Lata Mangeshkar at 5".
161. (28 July 2023). "Pooja Hegde Becomes Face of IGP's Raksha Bandhan Campaign".
162. (18 January 2022). "Bhima Jewellers Appoints Pooja Hegde as 1st Brand Ambassador". [[The Asian Age]].
163. "My dream debut:Pooja Hegde".
164. (15 January 2017). "Pooja Hegde anxious on the sets of Oka Laila Kosam".
165. (5 December 2014). "Varun Tej, Pooja Hegde's 'Mukunda' creates buzz with its first trailer; distributors bid high for movie rights".
166. (15 January 2017). "Hollywood veteran to style Pooja Hegde in Mohenjo Daro".
167. (16 January 2017). "Pooja Hegde finalised for Allu Arjun's next". [[The Times of India]].
168. (5 October 2017). "Pooja Hegde lands a special song in 'Rangasthalam'". [[Business Standard]].
169. CR, Hemanth Kumar. (27 July 2018). "Pooja Hegde on playing spiritual leader in Saakshyam: I've always focused on character than my look".
170. C H, Murali Krishna. (11 September 2018). "Pooja Hegde dubs for herself in 'Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava'".
171. Kameshwari, A.. (6 May 2019). "Maharshi actor Pooja Hegde: Mahesh Babu should become a director".
172. Goyal, Divya. (17 September 2019). "Pooja Hegde As 'Sridevi' In New Film Valmiki. Director Talks About Her Role". [[NDTV]].
173. (25 September 2019). "Pooja Hegde's Rajkumari Mala adds another pretty princess to Housefull 4's roster".
174. Neeshita Nyayapati. (13 January 2019). "Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo has a bit of everything – there's romance, drama, comedy, emotion and lots of swag".
175. (14 October 2021). "Pooja Hegde gets appreciation from Dil Raju and Allu Aravind for her performance in 'Most Eligible Bachelor'". [[The Times of India]].
176. Raghuvanshi, Aakanksha. (13 October 2020). "On Pooja Hegde's Birthday, Her First Look From Prabhas' Radhe Shyam".
177. (11 April 2022). "Pooja Hegde speaks about her character in 'Beast'". [[The Times of India]].
178. (12 February 2021). "Pooja Hegde to star opposite Ram Charan in 'Acharya', shooting to start this week". [[The News Minute]].
179. Krishna, Akshay. (17 May 2022). "Life Ante Itta Vundaala song from F3: Venkatesh, Varun Tej and Pooja Hegde create hooksteps for the party number".
180. (9 December 2020). "Pooja Hegde wraps first schedule of Rohit Shetty's 'Cirkus' opposite Ranveer Singh". [[Daily News and Analysis]].
181. (14 May 2022). "Salman Khan shares first look from Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali, shoot begins in Mumbai".
182. (25 October 2023). "Here's what Shahid Kapoor and Pooja Hegde's Next will be called". [[Film Companion]].
183. Anand, Akriti. (2 May 2025). "Pooja Hegde Says Playing 'Rukmani' In Retro Was The 'Most Fun Thing'".
184. K, Janani. (27 February 2025). "Pooja Hedge to set the dance floors on fire in Rajinikanth's Coolie".
185. Rao, Anisha. (26 January 2025). "Thalapathy Vijay's last film titled Jana Nayagan, first look out".
186. (24 May 2025). "Varun Dhawan and Pooja Hegde's 'Hain Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hain' to hit screens in 2026".
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189. (2 May 2013). "Kumki wins hearts at Norwegian Festival".
190. "NTFF 2013: Program scheduled for 27th.April". [[Norway Tamil Film Festival Awards]].
191. (16 January 2013). "விகடன் விருதுகள் 2012".
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193. Naig, Udhav. (14 May 2013). "Vijay Awards: Stars, big and small!".
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196. "Telugu cinema Article - Cine Maa Awards by Rhythm Events".
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198. (4 June 2015). "62nd Filmfare Awards South 2015 Nominations".
199. (19 December 2016). "Nominations for Stardust Awards 2016".
200. (2017). "Zee Golden Awards 2017 Full Event". [[Zee Telugu]].
201. (21 December 2019). "Nominations for the 66th Filmfare Awards (South) 2019".
202. (14 August 2019). "Pooja Hegde Gets Most Popular Actor of the Year-Female Award".
203. (28 August 2021). "Dhanush, Manju Warrier, Chetan Kumar, others: SIIMA Awards announces nominees".
204. Kumar, Karthik. (12 January 2020). "Zee Cine awards Telugu 2020: Samantha Akkineni, Chiranjeevi and Nani win top laurels".
205. (22 August 2021). "The 9th South Indian International Movie Awards Winners for 2020".
206. (14 November 2021). "Santosham-Suman TV South Indian Film Awards 2021 Curtain Raiser".
207. Shiraz, Zarafshan. (18 September 2021). "Pooja Hedge goes bold and sassy in ₹48k poppy mango leaf print ruffle saree".
208. (21 February 2023). "Filmfare Awards South 2022 Telugu Nominations {{!}} Filmfare".
209. Hymavathi, Ravali. (11 September 2022). "SIIMA Awards 2022: Check Out The Complete List Of Tollywood Winners…".
210. (11 September 2022). "SIIMA 2022: Allu Arjun, Pooja Hegde win big; Kamal Haasan, Ranveer Singh, Vijay Deverakonda, Yash attend. See pics".
211. (4 December 2022). "Santosham Film Awards: 'సంతోషం'లో స్టెప్పులేయనున్న బాలీవుడ్ బ్యూటీ".
212. (9 April 2023). "15th Edison Awards".
213. (29 March 2023). "Complete list of winners of Bollywood Hungama Style Icon Awards". [[Bollywood Hungama]].
214. Shukla, Siddharth. (8 April 2023). "Style Icon Awards 2023 Edition 2: Complete Winners list".
215. (12 September 2023). "Pooja Hegde Clinches the Title of 'Most Stylish Youth Icon' at Lokmat Most Stylish Awards 2023".
216. (2 May 2024). "Complete list of winners of Bollywood Hungama Style Icon Awards 2024". [[Bollywood Hungama]].