Express News Service
One of the very few actors to successfully balance multiple industries, Pooja Hegde is cementing her place in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu film industries one film at a time. Having starred alongside some of the biggest stars of Indian cinema like Hrithik Roshan, Mahesh Babu, Vijay, Akshay Kumar, and Allu Arjun, Pooja is set to appear on the big screen with the bhai of them all, Salman Khan in his Eid release, Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (KKBKKJ).
KKBKKJ is the latest version of the superhit 2014 Tamil film, Veeram, which has already seen remakes in Telugu (Katamarayudu), and Kannada (Odeya). The South connect is very strong in KKBKKJ, which also stars Venkatesh Daggubati, Jagapathi Babu, and Bhumika Chawla as Telugu-origin characters. Joining CE in an exclusive conversation from Mumbai, Pooja opens up about KKBKKJ, playing a Telugu girl in a Hindi film, and more.
Excerpts
KKBKKJ is your fourth big-ticket Hindi film after Mohenjodaro, Housefull 4, and Cirkus. How has this film been different for you?
Working in Hyderabad over the years, I have become a Telugu girl now, and it was special to essay one such character in KKBKKJ. I play an integral part in the film and am pivotal to every step of the proceedings. My role is loud, playful, fun, and basically… bindaas.
Apart from a handful of films like Sanam Teri Kasam and the works of Raj & DK, one has not seen many female Telugu characters in Hindi cinema. Did you find yourself turning into an in-house Telugu expert on sets?
Knowing the language certainly helps, it gave me the confidence to take more ownership of the role. I could add certain lines and words spontaneously in my dialogues. Also, with Venkatesh sir on the sets, I was not the only one from the Telugu industry. Also, my Telugu fluency was a reason to get the role. In fact, after the Mohenjadaro screening, Salman sir told me that we should soon work together. In a way, everything — the director, actor, producer, and storyline — came together for KKBKKJ.
KKBKKJ also marks your second collaboration with director Farhad Samji…
When you reunite with a director, there is a different synergy altogether. You know each other’s working patterns and the shooting process becomes easier. I have been lucky so far that all my producers, directors, and actors have expressed a desire to work with me again. To learn that my work is liked enough by people to ask me to hop in for another project has been the biggest compliment in my career.
‘I want to be part of a woman-centric film’
Talking of frequent collaborators, you are reuniting with Trivikram Srinivas (for the third time) and Mahesh Babu (for the second time) in SSMB 28…
It is too early for me to reveal anything about the film now. However, I can guarantee that people will get to see me in a new light, a different avatar of sorts in SSMB 28.
Comedy is considered a challenging genre, and you have dabbled in it in quite a few films…
Making people laugh is the toughest thing to do but also makes for an enjoyable experience. Situational comedy is especially fun since you don’t have to go on set thinking and figuring out what to do on that day. You must find out what is funny about the situation and deliver your best. I love funny and lighthearted things. It just keeps your day as an actor more interesting when you know anything can happen.
2022 has been a rough year at the movies for you. How do you come to grips with failure?
I have a glass-half-full approach to whatever happened last year. Beast did well in Tamil. The Arabic Kuthu song gave me a whole lot of love. I have also received appreciation for my performances, which kept me going. My job as an actor is to do my best and ensure that I have given my 100 per cent. There is only so much control I have over the results of the films. I am not the writer or the director, nor do I sit at the edit table. God was kind enough to give me multiple blockbusters. I have had my share of both successes and failures. Also, as actors, we should be allowed to take risks and experiment because only then can we give our audience something new. I have taken things in my stride and moved on.
You have worked as an actor across three industries for a little more than a decade now. How do you reflect back on the career you have had so far? Are there any roles, or uncharted territory you wish to explore next?
All these years, I have looked at my filmography in terms of what I can do with the work that has been offered to me. There is no strategy as such, and I have just followed my heart and my gut feeling. I want to continue being a part of good stories and gravitate towards good content. I do want to be a part of a woman-centric film, and I really wish to see more and more stories of women in cinema. I am working towards that. I do love all kinds of genres, but I am a romantic at heart, and I have a special love for the romance genre. However, I have not done an action film or a children’s film, and it will be great to explore these genres in the future.
For all the latest Entertainment News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
Denial of responsibility! NewsBit.us is an automatic aggregator around the global media. All the content are available free on Internet. We have just arranged it in one platform for educational purpose only. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, all materials to their authors. If you are the owner of the content and do not want us to publish your materials on our website, please contact us by email – [email protected]. The content will be deleted within 24 hours.
